Animosity
by Lolly Shearman
Summary: AU. Dan is a writer struggling in his inner conflict. Blair couldn't let go of a guy. They met before, and they meet again and their lives changed slowly when they started to know each other.  Gossip Girl TV or Book never happened here
1. They Hadn't Notice

**Animosity**

**Chapter 1 : They Hadn't Notice**

"_Is there a reason why you followed me?" a 12 years old dark haired boy walked through the theme park annoyed by the young brunette of the same age who keeps following him._

"_Because I'm lost you idiot!" the brunette exclaimed._

"_Then find your parents. Don't follow me."_

"_I didn't come with my parents. I came with Dorota!" like he knew who that was._

"_Okay, find Dorota."_

"_I don't want to be taken away by strangers in this horrid place. Who knows what kind of germs they would put in?" the brunette was a snob, surely._

"_Well, haven't you realized that I'm a stranger?" the boy looked back, stopping his pace now._

"_I… No…" she wasn't sure what to say. The boy continued his pace and she didn't follow. Thank God._

_But the boy was a nice boy. He wasn't a jerk. He felt guilt and sorry right away. He looked back and saw the girl stand still on the same spot. She looked down, trying to freeze any tears from flowing. The boy sighed heavily, and thought, "What if it was Jenny?"He went back._

"_Hey," he stood in front of her. She looked up. "Got a name?" She looked at him wearily. _

"_Blair."_

"_Dan," he smiled. "Now we're not strangers anymore." _

_The girl couldn't help but smiled back._

"_Now tell me, Blair, why did you follow me?"_

"_Because," she wasn't sure why, but decided to just speak her thoughts. "You seemed trustworthy."_

**10 years later**

It is Sunday, bright and sunny in the Upper East Side. Grand gestures of parading Gucci and Channel were seen in rays of women of the city. The sun did shamefully compared to their bright smiles, as one by one the women of Upper East Side stroll to the depths of Ralph Lauren and Bvlgari. It is one of the days where summer was coming, and new outfits were to be worn, cheer bright colors to compliment the season.

But one seemed to miss out on these events. In fact, Gossip Girl herself had noted the missing brunette who was the priority of these days. Some say she visited her parents in France, some say she is off to Venice beach, some say she is strolling like a princess in Monaco.

But no. Only her mother figure Dorota knew that she has been locking herself in her penthouse, and only she knows why.

In a room filled with flowery scents, lavender to be exact, blue on the wallpaper, Audrey Hepburn's image nailed to the wall and bed luxurious as a Queen should rest upon, Blair Waldorf was suffocating. Yes. She was panicking all at the same time pulling a straight face.

"Miss Blair," Dorota peeked in. Blair was still in the same position as 2 hours ago, sitting in the middle of her bed, feet tucked in, silk pajama rumpled and ice cream in hand. Laptop in front, Breakfast at Tiffany's were on, she is concentrating, or was concentrating. No she was just looking at the wall, hiding under her lashes.

"Miss Blair."

"Can you buy me pizza?" she suddenly looked up. Dorota was shocked.

"You have never eaten pizza since you were 8," Dorota ran to her 22 years old maiden quickly, holding her hand. "Do not let Chuck Bass make you eat pizza."

"Silly!" she was a bit hurt hearing the name. But she wasn't letting it get her, and Dorota was right, Chuck Bass will not make you eat pizza.

"I need more of these then," Blair pointed to her Haagen Dasz.

"That was your third one," Dorota said worriedly.

"Then let us go to the fourth shall we," Blair gave the perfect fake smile.

Dorota sighed. She went out of Blair's room. When she was about to take another ice cream, she saw the phone on the counter. Immediately, she took it and dialed a number.

"Miss Serena?"

* * *

><p>Bored. To. Death.<p>

Three simple figurative words to show how waiting in his cubicle bore him. He had gone through 3 babbling married couple yesterday, so he supposedly needed the break, right. Nope. Dan Humphrey was bored. He couldn't write what he wants, or generally his type of genre. He was stuck in the local newspaper writing about marriage in the Society Page. He was bored. But to understand the real reason, he chose to bore himself in the office on a Sunday, he chose to not write what he wants, he chose to be stuck in the local newspaper, he chose to write about matrimony. So he had none to blame but himself.

He looked up and saw his neighbor, Neil, typing furiously on his laptop. "What the fuck are you doing here on a Sunday?"

"Trying not to mope around my house because Judy is such a bitch," his neighbor answered. Dan looked further onto the laptop. 'I Hate Judy' was typed all over.

"You know, Bill Gates invented copy and paste," he offered and his neighbor stopped typing to look at him. He had annoyed face all over. "What happened with Judy?"

"She's the most stuck up brat I have ever met. I mean I bought her a 2000 dollar ring, which is not at all cheap. But when I get on my one poor fractured…."

"It was never fractured," Dan interrupted but the guy ignored.

"Bruised knee and held the ring to her, she got upset it's not Harry Winston. For fuck sake, I wanted to marry her!"

"So she said no," Dan swirled around in his chair.

"No."

"She said yes?" he stopped his chair.

"No," Neil said, before he realized the mock in Dan's face. "You dumbass!"

"Then get her the Harry Winston ring," he offered.

"Oh yeah. I'm not Mr. Hotshot Writer like you, if you could see. I don't make money like you. People give you jobs. I had to find one!" Neil started typing again. He stopped and looked at Dan. "What the fuck are _you _doing?"

"Who, me? I'm… working," Dan gave a weak answer.

"Yeah. Working. I see that you sitting around doing nothing, really nice work," Neil looked at him. "What's up?"

"Nothing," it was an honest answer. Sad too. He literally had nothing but his job. He went to the office because his loft was reeking the same oddness like it does 10 years ago, Veselka was closed for renovations and there was no dinner he had to go with his estranged dad. Or should he say he is the estranged son.

Dan left the office after Neil pushed him to the exit, saying something on the lines of "You're 23, be 23". Neil was almost 30, had marriage in planning and even if he called Judy a bitch a couple more than he should, he was really in a stable relationship, and a really big tight family. Dan had one night stands, a few failed relationships and an unfinished resolution with his dad. But at this time, he didn't feel to fix anything, as he hadn't thought that his life was miserable. He had a steady job, pays good cash and often takes the pride in being good with his job. So he wasn't changing anything.

He looked at the skyscrapers of New York. "Fuck it."

* * *

><p>A bright blonde entered Blair's penthouse, memorized every inch of the house like it was her own. It used to be, but not until she moved in with her golden boyfriend. She saw the nervous Dorota peeking into Blair's room. She went to her, giving her a small pat on the shoulder.<p>

"Miss Serena!" Dorota was glad. She was very glad. "Thank goodness you are here! I have been worried sick of Miss Blair. She keeps eating and moped around her bed, watching Audrey again and again and never ever she had that monotone face with me. Ever!"

Serena looked in. Blair did have a monotone expression, which she usually does when she's sad. Blair Waldorf does not cry in front of people, that she knows of her best friend. But to not cry in front of Dorota, this is the case that even Blair was in denial.

"Blair?" Serena popped in her head. The brunette looked up to her best friend, her sister. "Hey."

"Hey."

It wasn't a cheerful greeting, but Serena could slowly see that Blair is breaking. They bonded as sisters since they were born, and only Serena Van der Woodsen could crack Blair off her façade.

"What did Chuck do this time?"

Blair was quiet. She looked at her spoon, managing her own reflection. Serena sat on the edge of the bed. She saw that the movie on her laptop was rolling its credits.

"Did he cheat or…"

"No he didn't cheat. Chuck would never do that," Blair said defending the guy that hurt her.

"Then…"

"It's not Chuck. It's me. I'll get over it and we'll be fine," Blair smiled, a genuine one, almost anyway. Serena didn't believe her one bit, but realized that Blair won't talk until she decides to, and she will give Blair that space.

"Okay then," Serena said rubbing her best friend's elbow. "But if you need anyone to talk to, I'll be right here." She heard a cough from the door. "And Dorota too."

Blair smiled and nodded. She was still suffocating though.

"I on the other hand, have some pretty good news!" Serena beamed. If she couldn't ask Blair what was wrong, she ought to cheer her best friend. Blair actually perked up because it was hard not to when Serena was so bright.

"My mom's gonna get married!"

Blair's perk was shot down into a frown. And slowly, she turned back into her old self.

"I don't think you realize this S, but your mom kinda suck in marriages," Blair said, her old traits were back. Blunt honesty. Serena was about to protest but Blair stopped her. "What is this, the 6th marriage?"

"Fifth. And don't judge her like that. She deserves to make mistakes," Serena said.

"Those 4 divorces means she makes a lot of mistakes by marrying them," Blair said, stretching her arms and ready to go off her bed.

"No. No, this is different!" Serena was glad Blair was off from her bed. And her snappy sharp self was also back.

"How different exactly?" Blair had gone through her wardrobe, finding something to wear.

"He's from Brooklyn, and he was a rockstar!" Serena beamed when Blair scrunched her nose, tossing a few garments on her bed.

"Wow. That is different," Blair said, matching some colors on her outfit. "I'll give him 3 months."

"Blair…"

"Fine, four. Tops!" Blair found her outfit for the day.

"Blair…" Serena tried to hide her giggles. "No, this guy, Rufus, is different. He's a long lost love. You see, they actually had a relationship before, when he was a rocker and my mom was a groupie."

"Your mom was a groupie? Should have seen that one," Blair said, mocking a surprise. Serena gave a look. "Fine, I'll be quiet now."

"But it didn't last and they separated, but 25 years later, they meet again in his gallery on an opening, and everything restarts," Serena finished. She was very giddy about it that Blair changed her mind on saying 'What kind of name is Rufus?'

"Well, that is good for her then," Blair said sincerely. Everyone deserved to be loved. Everyone but her. She felt sick and twisted about herself. She felt that the only person she belongs to was the guy that would ultimately break her heart, over and over again. But what makes her sick was her running back to him, as always.

"We're having dinner tonight too together as a family," Serena said before she realized that something was off about Blair again. "You should come." She said without thinking.

"What?" Blair blinked. Serena thought again, it wasn't a bad idea. "Serena, it's your family's dinner, I'm not…"

"You are my sister Blair, and I'm sure my mom would love to have you," Serena offered a small smile. Blair accepts, both smile and invitation.

"Alright what the hell," Blair said, and Serena threw her hands around Blair. "Only if I get to mock Brooklyn Hubby's wardrobe after the dinner!"

"Blair!" Serena smiled.

Blair was happy with Serena. She was always comforted when Serena was around. Serena held her up and likewise. They are sisters, and they won't separate. But a thought lingers for the time they will have to part as likely women always do. Serena is in love, and she could be married any time. And Blair would be left all alone with Chuck. She loved him, too much perhaps. She lets it be. Because no one would want a soulless and depraved Blair Waldorf. She should stick to her own kind.

* * *

><p>Dan looked at his phone and saw 'Dad' on his ID. "Yeah?"<p>

"_Hey son," _as always, things got awkward. _"Um, are you free tonight?"_

"I… uh… I guess I am. Dinner?" Dan appreciated his father's gesture to reconnect with his son. His dad wasn't the problem though, he is, and he doesn't show any effort in returning the gesture.

"_Yeah. Only we're having dinner at a… a friend's house," _his dad said. This was new to Dan. Usually they order some Chinese take outs, eat at his dad's home, watching a game, drink some beer and left.

"Oh, where is it?"

"_I'll text you the address. And uh… dress up a little."_

"Okay," he heard silence, and when he was about to hang up, his father said the most awkward sentence in the Humphrey's life.

"_I love you son." _

Dan was surprised that his father even said that, all he could answer was, "Yeah." And he hung up, a second too quickly. He realized that he should claimed himself as a jerk because there was his father trying everything he could to have his son back, and he backed out of his father's life. He didn't know what made him further from his dad. They used to be close, but what happened? His parents got a divorce, but he wasn't exactly defending his mother's infidelity. So what happened? He really didn't want to think on why, when he exactly knew what had happened.

The text from his dad came in and he read the address. "Upper East Side huh?" He actually hated the area. He went to St. Jude School for Boys, being an outcast for 4 consecutive years. It didn't matter that he goes unnoticeable because the name of that school had merited him into Dartmouth. What he hated was how superficial everyone was over there and how it made him so judgmental. Mostly he thought it was just him but the fact that he was okay in any area other than the Upper East Side shows that the area was to blame as well.

Dan made his way back to the office after he had lunch and 3 coffees with a box of cigarette finished. He moped around for a bit but it wasn't really satisfying to have strangers looking like he's on crack. Maybe because he hasn't trimmed his hair for so long its shagginess was bothering people. He went into his office's building and scanned for Neil. Seemed like he was gone. He sat in his cubicle, tracing a few circles on the table and caught a pencil and a paper. Like the writer he is, he drafted down some ideas. Some were preposterous and some were actually quite clever. But here was the thing, these ideas never turned into anything than just an idea. He had stopped mussing the ideas after awhile because it wasn't as epitomized in his head when he continued.

He hadn't heard his boss, Peter Dawn stoop up to his cubicle. "Daniel, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, hey Pete," he looked up and hide his stash of ideas. "Nothing, I was just taking some stuff I had forgotten."

"Oh. But it's good that you're here. I have a new piece ahead for you for the Society Page. The Lady offered lots of cash for one whole page. It's her 5th marriage in two months and you will record her days to the altar," Peter got excited and didn't realize Dan's frown on the words 5th marriage. "And she insisted it to be your writing. Such a hotshot writer eh!" Peter patted his shoulder. Suddenly Dan felt bad about Neil. It was true, jobs were given to him.

"Okay then, I'll start tomorrow by tending some meetings with the couple. Leave their contact with me," Dan said pushing his chair from his table. This is his life. Writing on other's happiness. He was good in nurturing beautiful words.

"I have it right here actually. Hold still," as he flipped his blackberry on.

"Who's the lucky couple?"

"I forgot the guy's name but the lady is Lily Van der Woodsen," Peter said as he went through some names on the screen. "Ah ha. Got a pen?" Dan handed him his sticky note and a pen. He wrote accordingly and gave it back to Dan. "I'm telling you Dan, this will be huge, Lily Van der Woodsen is not some lady, she is THE lady. Flowing cash, not a bad looker too, and runs half of Bass Inc. which was by the way her ex's company. The guy who is marrying her, very lucky bastard, if you know what I mean." Peter winked but Dan wasn't sure he was getting the clue.

"You do this job good, I'm giving you your own matrimony column!" Peter said and Dan smirked.

"You said that before the Wilson's wedding which was last year, and I'm still stuck in this cubicle," Dan pushed his chair towards his table.

"This time I will fulfill it, I promise!"

"Just give me a fucking bonus and we'll call it a day alright," Dan took his pencil and a paper.

"I'm on it right now!" and then Peter left him alone in the office. He liked the office, it was quiet but still you could hear the rumblings of New York from it. It was the same in the loft but he wasn't as fascinated with it as he had before.

Bored again.

He looked at his sticky note, Lily Van der Woodsen's number were on it. Curiosity was on him because of the 5th marriage thing. Why would she parade a fifth marriage after failing the other four? One whole page? He opened his laptop and keyed in her name. At the very least he could make an estimation on who the lady was.

A blonde, hair in a bun, dress from silk, an integrated smile, heels to punctuate her posture. A classy lady. Dan could read everything she wanted for the article already. Class. He scrolled again and saw that she is an Upper East Side queen. "What is it with my life and the Upper East Side so suddenly?" He scrolled down again and found a recent picture of the lady and her children. The daughter looks of his age and the son was younger. It took awhile for Dan to realize that the man behind them was none other than Rufus Humphrey, his father, clean off his scruff, in a suit and hair all gelled.

Confusion struck him.

* * *

><p>"Does this one makes me look like I gained weight?" Blair asked, watching herself on the mirror, swirling her dress around. Dorota was about to answer, but Blair cut her. "It's not summer yet so flowy dress was not really proper." Blair went back to the closet.<p>

Dorota was still worried. Blair came back to her senses to fast, as if she was only mimicking she was okay, but she was not. Serena may have assured her that Blair would be fine, but this was different, something was not right. Blair was different.

"I think this is the outfit," Blair went out with a beige blouse and a black laced skirt. She looked at the mirror, satisfied finally. "It will do." That line scared Dorota because Blair never settled onto an outfit, it is either perfection or disastrous.

"Miss Blair…"

"Chop chop Dorota. I have to go. I'll be back before you know it," Blair took her purse and went out of her room with Dorota tailing her. Blair took her coat before pressing down the elevator.

"Miss Blair, are you sure you are okay?" Dorota was very worried. Blair looked at her, or rather pretend to look at her when she focused her mind on the wall behind. Still, she couldn't lie to her mother figure.

"I'll be fine. I always do," Blair assured her. With that, Blair was off to the Van der Woodsen's penthouse.

First, she was greeted by Eric, Serena's brother who seemed to be wearing plaid. She always loved Eric, like a brother she never had, so she saved her insults. _Maybe Brooklyn Hubby had influenced him._ She looked around and there was Lily talking to Serena, and they were setting the table in the dining room. _Or he influenced them._

"Blair! I'm so glad you're here!" Serena said, putting down some mashed potato.

"Yeah, where's the cater waiter?" Blair asked as she greeted her best friend and Lily.

"Oh, we are doing some home cooked meal today," Lily said. She looked different to Blair. She looked genuinely happy.

"By home cooked meal, she meant ordering some from Rachael Ray and setting it up here," Serena laughed.

"Wow, looks like this guy is different," Blair offered, looking at various food that was so not Lily's style. "What was his name again? Roufer?"

"Rufus… Humphrey," Serena poured wine into two glasses. "And he is very good looking too." Serena looked back to see Lily was out of view. "Rufus is a hipster but mom actually convinced him to shave, cut his hair and wore suits!"

"Well, thank God. I couldn't stand a hipster's clothing. But to tell you the truth, they are brilliant in their thoughts of life," Blair said, trying to compliment, but she wasn't sure. "Sometimes." Serena smiled. "Where's the guy though?"

"Oh, he's fetching his kids. He has a son who is our age and a daughter who is Eric's age," Serena said when Lily came back with a bowl of salad. Blair would be only eating that for sure.

"Hopefully, Rufus will succeed in bringing his son," Lily sighed while looking at the set up on the table.

"Why do you say that?" Blair asked.

"Well, his son is kinda… distant," Serena answered. "We had lunch and dinners before with Rufus and his daughter, but never seen his son."

"Even you Lily?" Blair looked at the older blonde.

"Even me."

"What is that guy having the predictable grunge on daddy's new wife?" Blair retorted.

"No. Rufus actually didn't tell him about this. He um, he wasn't sure how to reconnect with his son about, well, anything. But hopefully tonight and after, I could fix this," Lily said, smoothing her skirt. Serena caught a tone from her mother.

"Mom, what did you do?"

"Nothing that could bring any harm," Lily smiled. Serena knew that smile. Lily did something.

* * *

><p>Dan looked up to the penthouse. Lily Van der Woodsen sure knows luxury. He was laughing to the fact that his father that had hated the Upper East Side more than he does would actually marry one. He didn't notice that his dad was already waiting in the lobby.<p>

"Dan!" the older Humphrey called, and Dan agreed that he never looked better. Rufus hugged him and Dan tried to control his stiffness, none of the less, Rufus felt his struggle. "I'm glad you came." Rufus looked at him with soft eyes, and something triggered Dan to put up a wall like he always do.

"To meet the new family?"

Rufus was confused. "What?"

"You're getting married, in 2 months time," Dan retorted. "And I will be getting the surprise tonight." He didn't really know exactly why he was blaming his dad for all he knew he was the one wanting out.

"I… I didn't know how to tell you, son, you were…" Rufus couldn't find the words, and Dan realized he had done it again. He tried to frame his dad for nothing. He left guilt in his dad's burdening shoulders, he was being an ass for no reason at all.

"Sorry," Dan looked down. "I'm just, you know." In fact his dad understands very well. He patted his son on the shoulder, and there Dan was again, stiff.

"How did you know?"

"Well," Dan thought about for awhile. "Your, um, wife to be, Lily, hired me to write an article about your marriage in the Society Page."

"Oh, she did?" of course she would. Rufus should have known Lily would put her hands in on his problems. He saw a confused son in front of him. "Listen, if you don't wanna do it, I'll understand why you wanted out."

"No, I'll do it," Dan said. For a glimpse, Rufus had thought maybe his son was ready to come back, but Dan was being an ass again for no particular reason. "I'm good in writing happy stuffs for strangers, don't worry."

"Oh," with that, they had the longest silent ride on an elevator, with Dan deep down cursing himself over and over again.

* * *

><p>"Hello!" they heard a voice and came in a blonde girl into the Van der Woodsen living room having a cheerful smile. For a Brooklyn Hubby's daughter, she sure dressed well in Blair's opinion.<p>

"Jenny!" Serena stood up to greet and gave the girl a hug. Lily also approached and gave her a hug. Serena then pulled Jenny out of the living room towards Blair, who had this nervous face when she saw Blair. "Jenny, this is my best friend Blair. And Blair, this is Jenny Humphrey, my step sister to be."

"Hi!" the blonde held her hand and Blair took it, flashing a concreted smile. The girl was too giddy. "I can't believe I am here shaking Blair Waldorf's hand."

"Um, what?" that was a first. Usually everyone was pulled by Serena, and only Serena. Why would this girl become amazed meeting her.

"Oh no, you see um I went to Constance," Jenny explained. But Blair didn't recall the girl. "And I'm not really known or anything there. But I always see you guys on the MET's steps. I always wanted to be your friend!"

Interesting. "Why didn't you?"

Jenny was silent for a second too long. "We-well, I wasn't even on the list to be in your circle, and you kinda make a rule that the people who aren't listed should be 10 feet away." Blair's opinion of this girl, she was daring. Scared but daring. Suits the Van der Woodsen perfectly. She passed the step sister test.

"I did, didn't I?" Blair smiled. Excluding Serena, the girls around her were rather her minions and she was sure if Jenny had approached her during Constance years, she would be a minion rather than her friend.

Serena felt that an awkward situation had come up. "Um, Jen, where is Rufus?"

"Oh, he um, he's waiting for Dan downstairs," Jenny explained. Blair scrunched her nose on hearing that someone lives in a loft. "Dan's kinda, hard at times. But trust me, he's a good brother. Always has been."

"So he's coming?" Serena asked. Jenny smiled and nodded. "Finally, the mysterious Dan Humphrey. What does he look like?"

"He took a lot from dad, actually."

"You mean he's a hipster?" Blair snorted. Serena smacked her arm.

"No, Dan dressed pretty much normal," Jenny laughed. "I guess now he dressed like a writer."

"Ooh, he's a writer?" Serena implied which proves that the dinner and lunch before, they have never conversed about the mysterious Dan Humphrey.

"Yeah, he actually wrote in the New York Post, for the Society Page, usually he writes on the matrimony section" these words from Jenny had perked Blair up. She loved that section. They wrote such a beautiful scenario on every marriage that was explored. It was as if nothing would break that marriage, such a beautiful lie that exited any reality. Doesn't make it less beautiful though.

"Well, he has proven that he can take care of himself then," Blair smiled at Jenny, which had made the young blonde satisfied in a way. People had judged her brother too many times. She welcomed Blair's compliment and felt a big gratitude towards it.

The three heard the elevator opened, and Lily who was waiting in the living room rushed to the elevator. From the dining room they couldn't see the guests that have just arrived, but the sound of a grown man proved that Rufus has arrived.

"Maybe Dan's here!" Jenny exclaimed and both her and Serena jogged towards the source of the voice while Blair lazily trailed them.

Slowly, there they were, the family that was about to be united. Blair spotted Rufus first, and he was okay for someone from Brooklyn. In a sharp suit (no ties she noted) and carefully coifed hair, Rufus Humphrey was good enough. Then, the man introduced the guy who had been hidden by the shadows behind. A guy who seems… bored, if not tired and awkward. He had short dark curly hair, a very symmetrical facial and seemed very, closed. "That must be Dan Humphrey."

Dan greeted Lily, Serena and Eric. When he was about to greet Jenny, his younger sister threw her hands around him, missing him quite dearly. He smiled beneath her hair, he had missed her too. The family seemed nice, and he was quite surprised he recognized the daughter now. Who wouldn't recognize their 10th grade crush. Ironically, she'll be his step sister now.

"Well, I guess everyone is here, let's eat dinner. I'm famished!" Lily smiled. Rufus took her hand when they were heading to the dining room. Serena and Jenny pulled their brothers respectively.

"How have you been?" Jenny asked as she squeezed Dan's arm.

"Good enough," Dan answered simply. Then he saw his father being introduced to a brunette and captured the words, 'Serena's best friend'. She was a petite and very proper wearing girl. But he can read people, that girl was putting a wall around her. But he could care less now, she was a stranger. Jenny stopped him to introduce him to the brunette.

"Dan, this is Blair Waldorf. Blair, this is the mysterious Dan Humphrey," Jenny giggled.

"Hey," Dan said simply.

"Hey," Blair answered, simply.

Because of the pain and confusion, of the burden and the walls built for distance, of the contrived life that succumbed them both, Dan and Blair hadn't noticed that they have met 10 years ago.

To Be Continued

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys, I just wanted to create an AU world for Dan and Blair because well, I LOVE DAIR. No, don't worry, I'm not creating an out of character for Dan and Blair, this is just a start of how everything is a mess between each individual and how this second meeting will help them go through their own life. And banters will be in the second chapter as I wouldn't miss writing that for the world!<strong>

**Oh and the title Animosity was because these two are very hostile towards their own life. They don't have an intrigued feeling to fix anything at first, but changes may occur soon when they start to know each other. This fic will be up until 5 to 7 chapters and I'm not a constant writer so update might be slow. **

**Read and Review! (If you review and review I might speed up my writing)**


	2. They Still Hadn't Notice

**Animosity**

**Chapter 2 : They Still Hadn't Notice**

Blair walked up to the Empire one afternoon, sucking up every breath she had to actually gather her courage in what she was about to do, which was suicidal. She was a regular so everyone in there were leading her up, when all she hoped was someone to stop her and turn her away, right that second. She passed on a few open elevators, searching for time to run away. But her feet were dug in unless she was going up to see him. She had made a resolution, a big one, and she wasn't letting it go by just like that.

Finally she went in, feeling as if her weight was adding more and more as the elevator brought her up. A small sound showed that she was in her destination, a few steps and it was him. She grasped her purse and dragged her whole body into the place she once hoped would burn down.

"I'm surprised you're here, since the last time we met, I wasn't exactly your favorite person," the man smiled, not the one she was seeking though, reeking evil smell all the way if that is possible.

"Jack Bass," Blair huffed strongly. "I thought we had an agreement that the Empire will be Chuck's territory and you are leaving for hell if I…"

"If Chuck send you in as a good for trade?" Jack sneered.

"If I hand myself for a one night stand with you," Blair composed her pain deep inside. She does not want to show weakness in front of him.

"And all we did was force a kiss, that doesn't make it an agreement. And if I'm not mistaken, Chuck sent you in," Jack smiled gets wider.

"I sent myself, and that is it," Blair had her foot on her ground, she wasn't losing it.

"Tell yourself whatever you want babe, and don't worry, I'm here to log in a few data out for Bass Industries which I have asked your loyal boyfriend's permission to do so, and I'm off to New Zealand, worth more than this crap anyway," Jack grinned when he gathered his things and moved over beside her. Blair was still composed, no signs of weakness at all.

"Oh, and Blair," he whispered slowly. "I hope he didn't hurt you bad, because for what's worth, he could have done more."

By that, Jack Bass was gone, the emptiness of the room caught up to Blair, still in a perfect composure, but wasn't strong enough to stop her tear from coming down. With that Blair ran back down, initiating no destination but away from anything that has him, that has Chuck Bass. She had forgiven him, as always, but she was still in pain, and that pain causes her to flee, but reality that she coped pulled her back. Now she went away, but she knew one time, she'll go back.

She took a cab, and the words she remembered was "Take me to a place where everyone is happy so that reality can slap me on the face again". She looked out of the window and she saw nothing. It was a bland black and white city, unable to describe that gloominess was all over. She could blame him on everything, but here's the fact. It wasn't only him, it was her too. They were together in this, and to let go, was also together. Chuck sent her in discreet, she sent herself in vocal, what difference does it make? They were perfect for each other, they were inevitable. But if so, why isn't she letting it go easily? Maybe its time to learn to live with it, because how can you live without it? How can Blair Waldorf live without Chuck Bass?

"Miss, we're in happy place now," the cab driver sounded. They have stopped.

"This is…"

"Central Park. Happy people come here," the guy offered.

"Or lonely people."

"Those lonely people come to see the happy people, like you are," the cabbie can't seem to have his mouth shut.

"I'm not lonely!" she wasn't.

"You asked for happy people, there you are," the cabbie put in again.

"Fine," she threw him cash and went out. She looked around, and saw lots of Elementary kids. School ended an hour ago, so there she was, looking at kids being happy. Reality wasn't slapping her with kids, they don't understand that the world is hideous. She walked around for awhile. Even if it wasn't working for her to get back to the Empire, at the very least she felt serene there. She felt a smile aching on her face and felt the ironic of how human can be so cruel when nature is filled with beauty. She stepped forward, literally just wandering around. She saw a hot dog parlor, feeling the urge to eat it. But no, Chuck Bass isn't making her eat hot dogs too. She rested herself on this serene feeling. At least for a couple of minutes, she should deserve at least that.

But things weren't all serene when her heels broke, her red $1200 Jimmy Choo's, heels off, just like that.

"Seriously?" she looked at her shoes, it was a 4 inch heels and to walk in one heel will make her limp like an idiot, and walking with no shoes will get germs on her precious feet. She looked around, finding a bench. The only one she found nearest was occupied with a hobo taking a nap with newspaper on his face to cut off the light. Blair limped there and cleared her throat. He didn't move. "Excuse me Sir, but everyone in New York deserved a seat on a Central Park bench." He still didn't move. She nudged him a bit, and all he did was grunt. She was about to nudge harder when someone stopped her.

* * *

><p>The dinner Dan had before was overbearingly stressing him. It was obvious that circle in front of him had known each other before and all conversation kinda goes disconnected to him. His dad never wore suits that expensive before and by looking at it was another stiff connection. He noticed that his sister kept glancing at him, trying to get him into conversation but he wasn't adapting to it, at all. He had looked at her apologetically from time to time, and judged himself for being an ass. The dinner went down with him being annoyed by everything he's not. He's not participating in conversations, he's not throwing away grins and laugh on jokes either, he's not in the circle, not even his dad's. He was basically hoping the night will end fast and he could leave. But when Lily asked him about the article, he knew he was wrong. He's stuck with it for a whole 2 months and it annoyed him. Struggling to not being a complete jerk, he tend his meetings with Lily, only her father and her sister saw his restrained look.<p>

What really caught his attention underneath his annoyed self was how confidently bitchy the brunette who sat in front of him was. She spoke with a tone that depicts a friendly polite manner, but if you cut out the words she gave out, it's insult by insult. Jenny was too enamored by her (somehow) to notice and his dad was too much into Lily Van der Woodsen. At times, he felt like he should speak up, but what good would it make, he does not wanna make a scene. He's not very good with anger that always line up after making a scene.

Dan had just left home for a food tasting event in the Upper West Side, but a subway drive had him wondering about Neil and his Harry Winston ring. So he faked his cold, ushering the job to Neil and dropped by Central Park to read a book, like always. He needed to clear his mind before he attend the first meeting with his father and wife to be tonight, at another dinner, obviously everything will be as awkward as anything could be.

Dan walked around to find a perfect spot until someone he saw halted his intention. He couldn't help but notice the same petite Brunette that shoved insults like it was her life wandering in Central Park alone. She seemed like she was down, but watching her through, she looked like she somehow felt peace by wandering around, as a small smile crept up to her porcelain face, that it crept a smile on him too. He wasn't sure why he was watching her from afar, he didn't exactly know her, and he was really intimidated by her all at once. Though he stalked after her, and it was all good until her shoes broke. Looking how the poised brunette practically limp over to the side made him chuckle. He watched as she spoke of something to the hobo, and was somehow horrified that she nudged the sleeping guy.

Without realizing he left his spot and jogged to her.

"If you treasure your life, you might not wanna do that," Blair looked back and saw a familiar dark haired boy. He was in his suit, holding his tie and a book in one hand. He saved some scruff which was a terrible idea and his hair was… wet.

"Oh, it's you, the Humphrey guy," Blair retrieved her memory of him, which isn't much, or fascinating to begin with. During the Humphrey-Van der Woodsen dinner, he was literally quiet all through meal and added to that, he answers any questions of any topic using 4 words max. Blair even suggested to Serena after the Humphreys left that Dan was a mute.

"And you're the Waldorf girl, if I'm not mistaken," he grinned, using his free hand, pulling Blair further from the sleeping hobo.

"Seriously, what could a hobo do to my life," Blair snorted.

"Apparently anything. Peek on his left pocket, survival 101" Dan told her. Blair crooned her neck to the side and saw a large knife was placed in. She nearly gasped. "Yeah, they don't usually use it to rob people or anything, the knife is to adjust cut out shelter from boxes. They are genuinely nice people too. One guy actually retrieved my wallet back, and before you ask, nothing was stolen," Blair frowned at his words, or the fact that he talked a lot. "But they are very grumpy when they are disturbed from their sleep which could lead his knife hit right through you when his intention was to get rid of some disturbance.

"You mean a homeless man with a knife, looking awful in all his being, sometimes in a depression, is a nice guy?" Blair said in disbelief.

"Yeah, and you're the one with the intention of nudging him from slumber," he offered back. He was left with silent from the brunette, a sign he had won the conversation.

"You talk a lot," Blair countered.

Dan chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, only if I am in my talking mood."

"Which was absent during dinner at the penthouse," Blair said trying to balance her stand so she can pull off her broken shoe. 5 inch is hard. She didn't know why but she had this feeling to attack him back with words.

"Yeah, that is a different situation, I just knew who those people were," Dan said noticing Blair trying to balance herself, and when she failed, Dan held her arm up.

"And I just knew who you people were, but I was pretty confident on my act of participation," Blair pull off her Jimmy Choo's, looking at it sadly.

"Like subtly saying how you judge the people outside the Upper East Side?"

"I didn't…"

"I'll quote you, 'The beautiful thing about Brooklyn is that people will absolutely be surprised that the Upper East Side is very much enchanting', a very political conversation if you ask me," he let her arm go when she removed her other shoe.

"Rather than yeah, uhuh, okay, good, that comes through your mouth," Blair said while monitoring her shoes. "Every single time."

"It was an honest answer as I don't really have an opinion on the topics," Dan snatched her shoes and looked at the heels, Blair tried to snatch it back but he stopped her reaching.

"Give me back Jimmy!"

"You gave your shoe a name? You know the perfect way to fix this is if you break the other shoe."

"It's the brand you idiot!" she exclaimed, and Dan felt a sense of dejavu, a weird one anyway. "And no I am not gonna break my good Jimmy, what kind of stupid solution is that?"

"Will both of you shut up!" the hobo that slept peacefully had woken himself due to horrible noise of a duo. As Dan said, the hobo got all grumpy and was pointing his knife on them. Blair practically screamed for a good 3 seconds before she used Dan as her shield.

"Dude, dude, come on. We'll scoot alright. Just put the knife away, it is still daylight to die," Dan said and he had a hit from Blair on the arm. "Just go back to sleep, we'll find some other places."

"Scram!" the hobo flapped his knife once again and lay his back on the bench again, pulling the newspaper on his face. The duo then had a good 10 meters away from the sleepy homeless man.

Blair had just thought she had a meeting with death. That was scary. Dan's right, hobo's are dangerous when they sleep. Blair noticed that she was still holding on to Dan's suit and she was too afraid now to let go. She should stall her grip, but she didn't, too shock to even move.

"Um, Waldorf, you are kinda ruining my suit," and with that, the energy returned and she lets go.

"It's not like it's a nice suit to begin with," Blair tried not to look at him. "And I'm seriously going to the police to that kind of assault!" She looked back, slightly dumbfounded on why the guy with her now would say that kind of dangerous man is nice.

"Well, he'll be glad if the police would actually take him in, at the very least he'll get a shelter and food," Dan said. Blair looked at him, facial showing how she doesn't get it. "Well, the police don't really care to take in the homeless people because there are much worse crimes than sleeping on a pavement."

"And what if that horrible man stabbed me?"

"Well, reality is he didn't stab you, and technically, you were invading his privacy. He was sleeping and the police would probably have you at fault for entering a dangerous zone in the first place," he cocked his head back to the hobo who is now may as well asleep again. "Look, go to the police, I won't stop you. My point is you are wasting your time." Dan hand her back her broken shoe. She took the shoe from his hand started walking towards Central Park's exit, shoeless and shameless, pretty much angered to the fact that Dan Humphrey may had a point.

"Hey Waldorf," Dan called up, and she was not planning on stopping her pace, so he kinda jogged in her fast pace that is really possible without those heels. "Waldorf, stop."

"Listen, I am really tired of your rambling mouth and couldn't get a point brain with such a ba…."

"What's your shoe size?" Dan cut her. She gave him questioning glare. "You're not gonna go shoeless all the way in Central Park right? There are irresponsible dog walkers everywhere." Blair gave a disgusted look. He was right. He's a stranger, he was right, and somehow that blatantly annoyed her.

"You're gonna buy me new Jimmy?"

"Absolutely not," he answered, leaving Blair with horrifying imagination of Crocs. "Flip flops should do. Its summer too."

"I don't wear flip flops," Blair said as a matter of fact.

"It's either you stand on that or this filthy ground," Dan looked around and right on time, a dog walker passed through. "So?"

"Why are you even talking to me? We're practically strangers," Blair retorted.

"Yeah well, we do know each other's names so I'll say it's rather acquaintances and that connection defines helping the other. It's a human rule," he smiled. Blair had thoughts, from a mute Dan Humphrey he had gone to a talker, a very good one at it too. She looked at him, glaring at the most. He doesn't seem one to wanna screw you over.

"You look trustworthy enough," Blair surrendered, but still in a composed stand. "Eight."

"Small girl, small feet. Wait here," he smiled before he ran off, still pasting his grin on. He had put off his stalking and approached her, and here he was, searching slippers for Cinderella.

Dan walked up to a stall near the entrance, they sell shoes, sandals, hats, everything you need to feel the energy of New York. "What can I help you with?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, a size eight flip flops," he smiled. The girl asked what color and he imagined Blair, but couldn't really find himself very good in matching fashion. "Pink. Girls like pink right?"

Blair waited, inconveniently for the dark haired boy to come back. She even reminded herself to mock his wet hair combined with his terrible fitting of suit when he was gone for 10 minutes and she wasn't having any patience. She looked around and saw the hobo was up, rubbing his eyes and looked around. Some boy ran around and caught off balance and stumbled down. The hobo sees it, in a quick move he held the boy up, rubbing sand off the boy's hands. She looked away, again, Dan Humphrey was right, and she was annoyed by that.

"Hey," he came back. Blair looked at him waving a pair of pink flip flops in front of her.

"No, I am not wearing that," she looked at it in horror. "Pink?"

"I thought girls like pink?"

"But not murderous Mr. Hyde pink," Blair looked horrendously at the flip flops.

"Come on, it's just a ride back home with these and you can choose your other Jimmys," he mocked. His hair was drying but still damp.

"Why is your hair wet?" she just had to ask.

"My hair? I just took a shower," Dan said rubbing his hair. "And it's drying off."

"You take afternoon shower?" Blair smirked. Only a Brooklyn would do.

"Yes, apparently I had a very long night on my job and slept through the alarm," Dan kind off lied, he had a long night but not because of work, but because the blonde bombshell he met in a pub kept him awake, all night long. An impressive stature for him. "Are you gonna take these?"

Blair shrugged and took the flip flops. She wore it, not hiding her disgust.

"Looks cute," Dan added. He got a glare from her.

"You know what for such a mute and disastrous relationship you had with your father, you are annoyingly okay in having such an annoying conversation with someone who is a str…. Almost stranger like me," Blair said in a very blunt way that even she herself were questioning whether it was okay. It surprised her that it didn't affect him one bit.

"I have my problems, and you had yours. I thought of helping you with yours," he pointed at Jimmy to the flip flops and lastly to the missing hobo.

"What, now you want a reward of me helping you?"

"No, I can take care of myself," he smiled. Blair concluded now, she had never ever met an infuriating guy such as Dan Humphrey.

* * *

><p>Lily was shuffling few papers on her desk in the Bass Industries building. She stopped at few moments to look at her ring, feeling happier than she had ever been. The door of her office opened, and there stood her adoptive son, Chuck Bass. Since the late Bart Bass died, Lily offered to adopt the 17 years old Chuck Bass so he wouldn't lose his legacy to the corruptive world of business. Because that was all he had at the time, all he had of Bart.<p>

"Charles, it's nice of you to come here for awhile. Haven't seen you a lot since you are too busy on The Empire," Lily said smiling to him while pushed herself from the desk a little. Chuck smiled.

"Yeah. Sorry bout that. You know me. I'm always… working," Chuck was hesitant at something and Lily saw that. She knew Chuck since he was a child and he was always so protective of himself.

"Are you alright, Charles? Do you need to talk or something?" Lily looked at his straight in the eye. Chuck could feel himself urging to kill himself right now for asking the question, because he knew for a fact, that he won't like the answer.

"My dad, he…" Chuck stopped for awhile to reassemble his words. Lily was waiting. "Has he ever, manipulate or betray people?"

Lily was shocked at the question, she raised an eyebrow. She smiled though answering, "Well, Charles, you should know that your father wasn't exactly clean in doing his business. You should know that by now."

"Yeah, I do. It's just…" Chuck wasn't sure how to put his real questions on the table. "Have he, betrayed you for his business?"

"Oh Charles, did the bastards that wants Bass Industries say those stuff?" Lily concurred and before Chuck could reply, she continued. "Bart is very well respectable man. That means he is very good in manipulating, betraying, polarizing everything to have his business come together. But remember this, he would never, ever, hurt the people he cared and loved."

With that, it was official to the world of Chuck Bass, that he may be the demon after all.

* * *

><p>Blair shoved the flip flops away as she entered her penthouse, still disbelieving the fact she had wore those ugly things. She tossed her Jimmy Choo's beside the sofa and plopped herself on the double seat. Sighing, she looked around the empty house. Dorota must be doing some errands. She lay on her back, looking up to the empty ceiling. She couldn't help but be reminded how infuriating Dan Humphrey is, she prefers the mute he was. She remembered how he literally seems to disclose any matter that was himself during dinner, and how he nearly cringe every time his father touched him. Whats up with that? Not that she cared, really, but she was a little curious. What she remembered clearly was when they had their goodbyes, the young Jenny Humphrey got a real genuine smile from him, but not the older Humphrey. Dan had a restrained smile to his father, like all he really wanted was out of Rufus' proximity.<p>

"Why am I even curious?" Blair held her arm on her eyes, trying to get a rest because it was a long day since this morning she...

"Oh, shit." She forgot. She forgot that this morning was supposed to be her forgiving Chuck. It was the time, it was the moment, but she forgot. After seeing the happy people in Central Park she was supposed to ran back to Chuck, when reality strikes her, she was supposed to be back with Chuck. But she wasn't back with Chuck. She met the devil Jack Bass, had her shoes broken, a hobo nearly stabbing her, an ugly walk of shame in hell pink hole of a flip flop and Dan Humphrey annoying the hell out of her. Why was he even interacting with her, she was clueless.

Blair opened her cell and scrolled over to Chuck's name. She wasn't sure if calling would be the best idea, but she pressed call anyway, because this had to go according to plan. She had to forgive him today as if it is on her today's list. But seems like it would have to wait since Chuck didn't pick up. She called again, still no answer. "Chuck where are you?" Third time, still no answer. With that she gave up, tomorrow will do, hopefully her energy is still there by tomorrow.

"Miss Blair?" she looked and saw Dorota with few dresses she picked up on her hands. "You're back early."

"Yeah, I went to see Chuck," Blair missed the questioning look from Dorota, because to her meeting with Chuck means Blair is on her path to normalcy again. "But I kinda got distracted and he's not answering his phone. I guess I'll see him tomorrow." Blair looked down again, and Dorota knew Blair was far off normalcy.

"Miss Blair, if there is anything I could do to make you feel better, I would do it," Dorota said, concern was all over her face. Blair smiled, grateful that at least Dorota loved her truly.

"No, this is my mess, mine and Chuck. We'll fix it, we always do," it felt like she was stating that to herself.

"What if you don't Miss Blair. What if you and Mr Chuck mess things up again and again till one day there is nothing to fix?"

Blair kept silent. She couldn't answer that, or she could, but she won't. Because being the girl that keeps forgiving her boyfriend while she is the bitch of the Upper East Side made it seems like everything in her life is very ironic. Once before she was the girl who had control in every detail of her life, but now she was left with problems with her boyfriend, failing some subjects in school, still on a zero internship when she shoved every resume she had on every fashion company.

"Miss Blair, if you need to talk..."

"I know, you are here," Blair smiled, relieved that Dorota dropped her earlier question.

"No, I mean, not me. Not Serena. I think what you need is a talk with someone not us, someone new," when Dorota said that, all Blair could come up was a psychiatrist.

"I'm not crazy," Blair said, as a matter of fact.

"I didn't mean crazy doctor, Miss Blair. I mean a new friend," Dorota said. "Usually its easier with a new person than someone you knew for so long."

"I thought it was the other way around," Blair wasn't sure what Dorota was saying.

"It is for others, but I know you Miss Blair. You usually keep your facade more with the ones you know, because if anything horrible happened, you don't care of what those strangers think of you because you are confident enough to trump them off. But with people that you know, you always try to impress them, so you can keep them always by your side, so that..."

"So that I stay perfect," with this Blair dropped a tear. Dorota had he correct. She wanted to be seen perfect by those she cared.

"Miss Blair, you don't need to try and be perfect, you already are," Dorota said softly, hoping it would sip through the young woman. But it didn't.

"If only I could believe that kind of nonsense."

* * *

><p>Dan shifted back and forth in front of the Van Der Woodsen's living room. The place were already filled with food, or it looks like it. His father wasn't here yet, he was early. Lily had gone to make him some tea, and he was left with an awful nerve wreck which was himself. He looked around and saw some photos, he looked through it. There was Serena, Eric and Lily in front of the Eiffel Tower, Serena smiling brightly, Eric in suit, all in all it doesn't really ease the nerve. He looked around more and he saw a mini Serena, with a mini Blair, flaunting their dresses. He laughed at how high their heels was for a 10 years old. Then he squinted at Blair's mini me. It was odd how she looked very familiar.<p>

"Daniel," he heard his name being called. "Here's your tea." Lily put his tea on the coffee table.

"Oh, yeah, thanks," Dan said, awkwardness has came, and Lily saw that.

"Daniel, I know that you had a few past problems with your father and..."

"He told you about that?"

"Yes, he did. I hope that is alright with you. I don't want it to seem like I'm intruding your privacy or anything," Lily looked at him, sincere in every word she said.

"Yeah, its okay. I mean he is going to be your husband, so, yeah," Dan said, looking down, hoping it didn't betray his uneasiness that a woman he barely knew had been told of a piece of fragment from his past that he himself tries to forget. "But don't try to fix it or anything." Dan was honest, he always was. "I know you hired me because you wanted to fix things between us Humphrey but I really think it should be on my terms, even if that sounds painfully selfish, I'm a grown up, I know what I'm doing." Technically he wasn't sure what he was doing half of the time, but he knew bringing Lily in will make it much more complicated.

"Okay, if that is what you wish," Lily said, smiling for comfort. "Just remember Daniel, humans are not meant to live alone."

"Or so they say," Dan smiled.

Before Lily said anything else, the elevator opened, carrying out a young man of Dan's age, all wrapped in suit and a tie, walking in the penthouse. Chuck arrived. He didn't acknowledge Dan in the same room, as all he ever looked at was Lily with a question in his head. "Is Blair here?"

"Charles, I didn't expect you here."

"Is Blair here? She called me when I was in a meeting and I called back but everything got into voice mail," this got into Dan's ears somehow. But it left him soon after, or does it?

"Did you check the Waldorf penthouse?" Lily was now on Chuck's side.

"I did. Dorota said she left 2 hours ago."

"Did she say where she went?"

"No. And now she's nowhere to be found," Chuck looked down.

"Maybe she went to Central Park," Dan's statement caught the other two's attention, especially Chuck's who just realized that there was another guy in the house.

"You are?"

"Dan. Humphrey," he felt weird that he had to introduce himself such as that. Chuck did not know any Dan Humphrey.

"Why would Blair go to Central Park?" Lily asked.

"Because thats where I saw her this afternoon," Dan said simply. With that, Chuck rushed into the elevator, leaving rashly.

"That was?" Dan looked at Lily.

"Charles Bass. Chuck is what people call him. He is my adoptive son, from my late husband," Lily said. "Which will make you brothers at some point in the future." This did not make Dan feel glee. He never had a brother and he wasn't sure he wanted Chuck Bass as one. "He is also Blair's partner. Serena told me things got kind of rough between them now but she believed that everything would be fine, because they are Chuck and Blair."

Dan wasn't sure he was liking the abbreviations of ChuckandBlair. But then something hit him. "Did you say Bass?" Lily nodded at his question. "That was Bart Bass' son?"

"Yes. Do you know Bart?"

"Um, no, not really. I just saw him in tv and a few times in the paper," Dan lied through his teeth. Now he was even more reclined to take the job.

* * *

><p>Serena looked around to see that Nate was so fast asleep. After their encounter, Nate always slumped into sleep. She takes pride that she tires him most of the time. She left the bed and went to the bathroom with her phone. She saw a few text from Chuck, and one from her mom. She cursed herself for forgetting her mother's interview day with Dan for the article he's making in the Society Page. She ignored any of the text, and called Lily, apologizing her absence. Her mother suggested that he have lunch with Dan tomorrow to finish up the interview. The blonde agreed.<p>

The door bell went off, and Serena took her robe and walked for the door. She peeked into the peep hole and saw her best friend behind it. She unlock the door and opened for the brunette.

"Can I just sleep here for tonight?"

**To Be Continue**

* * *

><p><strong>Banter in! I hope I did it okay. I just want to push on both Blair and Dan that their encounter actually made them forget bits by bits of their nagging baggages. I think everyone should know by now what Chuck did but pretend you didn't. LOL. I mentioned flip flops because it is so Leighton but not very much Blair. For those who are curious why Dan is so cold towards his father, you have to wait until Blair finds out which is on the next chapter.<strong>

**Spoiler for the next chapter**

**- Dan and Blair on Bad News Blair, Animosity style.**

**- Serena went to lunch with Dan pulling Blair with her.**

**- Nate made his appearance in a wake form (;p)**

**- Blair and W**

**- Dan and Bart's connection revealed (becaue I love you guys, I give you guys hint on hint. Fire and building and death)**


	3. The Truth Lies

**Animosity**

**Chapter 3 : The Truth Lies**

Blair slowly woke up from her sleep, she recognized everything that was not hers. _Right, I slept in Serena's place. _She slowly pulled herself out of bed, blinking her sleepiness away. She was a bit emotional the day before and everything was kind of a blur now. She looked at the clock, it was 10. She walked to the bathroom to freshen up and saw how awful she looked in the mirror. She pulled off a tissue, damp it with water and wiped off her smudged mascara out of her face. She was left with a nude face, and she hated it. She will never be as perfect as Serena, she needs all the help in the world to be pretty. Serena always tell her that she was fine with or without, Blair knew it was a lie. Quickly freshening up, she took her bag and applied make up. Going through Serena's closet, she tried to find something that wasn't a size two. She found a blouse that she swore will look better on Serena but at the time, she just needs something to wear. She reluctantly took the jeans because every skirt Serena had will show too much of her legs and Blair is very preppy in her style, those skirt on her will make her feel trashy.

Blair went out of the room and saw Nate on the kitchen counter, surprised that he was still in.

"Hey Blair. Had a good sleep?" Nate said smiling. She missed him. She missed how every smile he throws were genuine, how every compliment he gave was honest. They had a relationship once in high school, but that ends there. And she didn't regret a second with him, because he was precious even in her past. Now he belongs to Serena, and they are happy, which shockingly made her happy as well.

"Yeah, the longest I had in a few days," Blair grinned. She placed herself in the seat front of him. "So, I know Serena's side story of her happy fairytale, now I wanna hear your side, make it juicy!"

"Well, other than Serena and I make a terrible cook as an individual or together, everything is all well," Nate smiled and remembered the juicy Blair had asked. "Oh yesterday we argued about the rug."

"What about the rug?"

"Well we were... doing stuff and it got all itchy on my skin and I complained but she said its a beautiful rug and she wants it there," Nate smiled and saw an expressionless Blair. "Yeah, its all boring stuff." Nate looked down, but he was smiling.

"But you're happy," Blair offered. Nate looked up.

"Yeah."

"You deserved to be, you're a nice guy," Blair was sincere. Nate and Serena had the perfect relationship. They argue about rugs, they had it simple. She never had it simple, and she knew it was her fault since when she was with Nate, everything wasn't made simple. The problem is on her. Now she really had the urge to go back to Chuck. So that everything will go back to normal.

"Blair, what happened?" Nate asked when he saw Blair went silent. She wasn't sure what to tell. But since she have decided to forgive Chuck, its pointless to really talk about what had happened when all she wants was to forget.

"Nothing. Chuck and I argued which is far worse than you arguing on rugs. But I came to the conclusion that its my fault anyway and I'm going to settle everything today," Blair offered a weak smile. Nate knew her for too long to just believe her like that.

"Did he hurt you?" it was a simple answer, yes or no, but she couldn't pick.

"It was both of us. But we're Chuck and Blair. Everything is gonna be just..."

"Nate, you gotta help me choose..." Serena suddenly barged into the apartment and when she saw Blair was up, she smiled and ran to her. "Blair you're up!"

"Yes, and you're too shiny," Blair said looking at Serena's bright smile. Then she saw the bags in the blonde's hands, and all of the bags were of men's wear. "Whats up with the male shopping spree?"

"Oh this?" Serena remembered and turned to Nate. "Nate, you have to help me choose, seriously, I'm not good in men's wear."

"Why don't you just give everything to Nate since you bought everything already," Blair told her straight. Nate shook his head.

"No, no. This is not for me. This is for the Humphreys," his statement had made an annoying knot in Blair's stomach.

"Yeah, I was actually looking welcome to the family gifts for Rufus and Dan, but they really have different taste than Nate or my past step dads," Serena replied ignoring Blair's 'Clearly' while pulling out the stuffs she bought, consisting of ties, shirts, cufflinks all from Hugo Boss, Gucci, Ralph Lauren.

"Why don't you just head to Urban Outfitters, buy some horrible looking t shirts and call it a day?" Blair suggested.

"Blair," Serena pleaded. "This guys are gonna be my family and I want them to feel welcome, starting with a welcome gift sincerely from me. Jenny's present is really easy, she got to meet you." She finished pulling out everything and scanned the stuffs with Nate while Blair just frowned at the comment. Nate offered his opinions, got hit slightly by Serena when he made a joke of it and all Blair could do was stare. She smiled, they are the golden couple, more than when she was with Nate.

"Owh, I think this tie will be perfect for Dan!" Serena pulled up a navy blue skinny tie.

"Not with his suit from yesterday," Blair blurted out and got herself a questioning look from Nate and Serena. "Oh, I kinda ran into him yesterday in Central Park."

"What were you doing in Central Park?" Serena asked.

"I was... seeking refuge," Blair said simply. "And I take back saying that Humphrey is mute. He's a total babbler."

"You know what, I don't know why I never knew of this Dan Humphrey since we went to the same high school and all," Nate said.

"He's from Brooklyn. Of course he's incognito," Blair smiled to Serena who shot her a look.

"This reminds me I have to go to lunch with Dan today for my mom's wedding interview," Serena said looking at Blair. "And you're coming with me."

"What?" Blair looked at her disbelieved.

"You are coming with me. You knew my mum since you were an infant so you can give an insight of a third party point of view for the article," Serena smiled. Blair wasn't having it. "Oh come on Blair, it will be fun, I promise!"

"What's so fun with talking to an annoying writer who by the way dignify a very horrible taste in fashion and had shower at noon?" Blair didn't get why she must go.

"Sounds like you did not just ran into him yesterday," Nate commented and Blair glared at him. "What?"

"What exactly happen yesterday?" now Serena was curious. Blair rolled her eyes.

"Lets just say our meeting yesterday wasn't that fun and leave it at that," Blair said putting the subject down. Serena eyed her best friend.

"Whatever, you're still coming!" Serena said pulling the navy blue tie as her present to Dan. Blair sighed heavily and went towards Serena's room, exasperated.

"Why do you insist of her coming?" Nate asked his girlfriend.

"Because I called Dorota yesterday and Blair was on her way to forgive Chuck, but Chuck was busy, so that didn't happen. She's going to do that today and I am planning to fully stop her," Serena smiled confidently which confused the boy.

"I thought by her forgiving Chuck will make everything go back to normal?"

"Dorota also said Blair didn't seem pleased she made that decision. She seemed," Serena stopped picking the right words. "She seemed as if she was forcing herself into it."

"Well, you might be right about that," Nate was reminded by his conversation with Blair several minutes ago. "Do you think Chuck hurt her?"

Serena looked at the boy, scared to answer the question. "I don't know."

* * *

><p>Dan sat in his chair, seat, stool, whatever was proper to put it as he looked around Butter Restaurant. It was fancy and he had been here before, countless of times too for few dinner parties his job miraculously lead up to, but he enjoyed a nice comfy place like a pizza parlor or Vesselka. He ordered himself a coffee, too early for a vodka. Yesterday's meeting with Lily came out better than he thought, maybe through the fact that his dad wasn't able to show up as Jenny caught up a fever. He is an ass for being glad that his sister was sick, but he was either way.<p>

But things for him weren't better in the long run. Now he was being haunted by his past. Bart Bass, that man had came back to get him feel every guilt in the world.

_3 years ago_

_Dan was only 20, and he is the bright star of Dartmouth. His professors trusted him with success. They put it heavy on him to get the best. That is why he was asserted a special assignment. He was excited, as he knew it will be something new, something raw to write about. And they promised if it was good enough, he will have his work in the New York Times, which was a dream since forever. He walked in proudly to his professor's office, high mighty as he was chosen to pick up such a project. He waited, couldn't pull the smile off his face, couldn't hide the excitement in his nerve. He was called in, this is it._

_"Daniel Humphrey, my star student!" his professor smiled, only a year with the boy but he knew that boy had great skills in him. He wrote one of the best articles by amateurs. "So, have you been good?"_

_"I'm good. Great even! Listen, thank you so much for this opportunity, I mean really, this is huge!" Dan beamed._

_"I have to say, Daniel, this assignment will be a bit risky. You are free to walk out of it any day," this pull the grin off him. Maybe the assignment is not so Hamlet or Oliver Twist dug up. But he was up for it. "Do you know the business mogul, Bart Bass?"_

_Dan recognized the name but not really familiar. "I think so."_

_"Dig his deeds," his professor smirked. "Dig everything you can know off him and its a guarantee job in the New Yorker."_

The worst part of everything, that wasn't the worst. He did something worse after that, something that he regretted still having in his house. And now he is writing about Bart Bass' former wife marrying his father, the man he tried to avoid as much. Life was a weird turning twist now for him. He looked around, the blonde he was supposed to meet is still not here. He looked at his i Phone and it has a few unread mails from his mom. He sighed and pressed for call. He haven't talked to her in a while and while their past was somehow blue, he realized that she is still the mother and there are no more reasons for it to be blue.

"Hey mom, you texted?" Dan smiled after he heard his mother's hello.

_"Yes, and you answered late," _Allison Humphrey's voice chimed. Dan knew she was smiling. _"How are you, Dan?"_

"I'm good. Works fine and I actually have decent six packs in the fridge now," Dan laughed. "They liked my writing."

_"Everyone would be stupid to not like your writing!" _

"You're my mother, you're supposed to say that," Dan played around with his glass. He stops when his mother questioned him.

_"How are you and your father?" _there was a concerned tone in her voice. Dan was silent, he wasn't progressing any result in rekindling with his father. _"Dan, it's not his fault."_

"You think I don't know that?" Dan filtered his anger on his mother's misunderstanding. "I know very clear its not his fault."

_"It wasn't your fault either," _Allison's words had Dan bowed his head, wearing a sad smile.

"Well, it would be a lot easier if it was," Dan pointed out and before Allison could go through yet again, he saw Serena entering the restaurant. "I gotta go. I'll call you back." He knew he won't for awhile.

Dan looked from his phone to Serena and waved his hand. Then he saw the brunette following the blonde, or rather forced to follow the blonde, because she wasn't happy, nor was she excited. He could see the girl rolling her eyes at his wave.

"Dan!" Serena chimed. Its weird that the blonde bombshell will become his sister, but she was very warm and friendly, shiny too. Dan couldn't help but smile at her. At least he'll get another awesome blonde in his life who is not a one night stand. Serena pulled Dan into a hug, and he saw Blair scrunching her nose to him. He frowned at her, a question on why she is here. "Were we late?"

"As in 'I' rather than 'we' because I didn't really agree to this idea of meeting you, again," there she was, pulling him down into a fight of words. In a way, she was really looking forward to hear his reply. Serena sighed and pulled Blair into the seat in front of Dan while she sat in the middle, hoping to clear any problems out.

"Well, I obviously didn't plan on seeing you, but nice shoes. Hope they don't break," he smirked, mocking to look under the table.

"Nice shirt, it looked as grungy as yesterday's," Blair shot back and Dan looked down, frowning at his suit make her smile in achievement.

"Okay, is it just me or you guys speak a totally different set of language?" Serena said, now curious.

"No, we speak plain English, and in plain English, I don't wanna be here," Blair looked from Dan to Serena. Serena sighed, murmuring sorry to Dan. Dan shook his head, he really believed that the brunette really loves to pull a fight, and he questions, why was she here t be exact.

"Then why are you here? Other than patronizing me with negative sentiments to my shirt?" Dan folded his arms.

"I don't know," Blair looked at Serena. "Why am I here again?"

"I need you here Blair. You've known my mom since forever and your opinions matter," Serena tried, it didn't work.

"Your mother is a romantic, as in she romanticize everything she wants the society to know," Blair pushed and she looked at Dan. "I'm pretty sure Humphrey here can do that just fine. He seemed fine romanticizing a dangerous homeless man."

"I can do the romanticizing just fine in articles, but I don't attempt a suicide in a very creative way," he retorted, smirking.

"That man had a knife!"

"And you disturbed him in his slumber."

"Okay, I am currently at lost now," Serena said when she had to grasp what Dan and Blair were talking back and and forth.

"You took shower at noon."

"And you wanted to walk around Central Park shoeless."

"Seriously, what are you guys talking about?" Serena asked. She barely knew Dan but it seemed like Blair did, from one meeting in Central Park. And Blair had been so down lately that it was weird to see her so energize about something. A thought came to Serena, _Could it be... _Looking from a very poised and well dressed Upper East Side Blair to a simple and casual Brooklyn-esque Dan, Serena canceled her thoughts. There was no way.

"Lonely boy here needs to apologize for buying a stinking pink flip flops for me," Blair looked at Dan.

"Lonely boy?" Dan repeated. But something else caught Serena's attention.

"Why did you buy her pink flip flops?"

"To kill fashion statement," Blair simply said.

"Or to actually save princess' feet from dirt," Dan retorted. "Waldorf here broke Jesse."

"Its Jimmy you idiot!"

"Okay, clearly you two have to stop," Serena now wondered if bringing Blair was the right thing to do. "Lets order, finish the interview so we could call it a day okay?" All Serena saw was a very eager to fight looks from the two. She sighed. This could be a very long afternoon.

* * *

><p>Blair walked into her room, finally crashing on her own bed. She did not know why she had to have a sleepover over at Serena's. She rehashed her memories of the annoying Humphrey. How everything he speaks really was a 180 of what she speaks. They are in fact the very dear opposite, who do not attract obviously. He had dare to call her the devil in human form (when she called him a decease that somehow makes it to the upper east side). The boy was very infuriating and it really irks Blair that Humpty Humphrey were lashing words by words when she thought her words would make him speechless. He even made the incredibly pompous ass she met in France while visiting her father seemed like a perfect gentleman. Blair rolled over to face the ceiling. She'll get him speechless someday.<p>

Though lunch today was a very annoying pointless moment, she remembered clear that she had a very frightening resolution to make, and her confidence in resolving that is getting lower and lower. The meeting with Jack did not help, and the forsaken stroll in Central Park didn't help either. She looked at her phone and scrolled to Chuck's name. It came to a thought that maybe by calling would make her knew the things she had to do. Her nerves showed.

"Calm down, Blair. You can do it," she told herself. She dialed his number. It rings, and he picked up.

_"Blair?" _he spoke. She couldn't lie, she actually missed him.

"Chuck."

_"I... You looked for me yesterday?" _his voice was kind, but that bugs Blair a lot. Because halfway she hoped for something else, and she really didn't know what that something else is. Before she could answer, Chuck spoke. _"I am actually right in front of your room now."_

With that, Blair scrambled off her bed, skipped to her door and shove it open. There was he, Chuck Bass in his glorified Gucci suit. He had a smile, a sad smile. She hadn't seen him since the incident happened, and she realized that she missed him more now. She had loved him, a little too much. She replied his smile with a sad one, and build up every courage she had to forgive him, and forget everything that had happened. They are Chuck and Blair.

"I did look for you. And I just wanna say that I..." she stopped. She was suddenly confused. She really didn't know what is it actually that she wanted. "I..."

"Blair, you went up there, and as sickeningly the thought of you with him, I'm ready to just forget everything," Chuck said.

"I didn't... We didn't do it, all we did was kiss and he went away," Blair spoke. But that wasn't the point to her. But it seemed to be the exact point to him as Chuck brightened all of sudden.

"Then we were in this situation for nothing!" he held her hip, smiling brightly. "A kiss meant nothing at all." He wasn't getting it. He didn't get why she was upset. It wasn't clear to her before, but it was coming to the surface now.

"Chuck, I'm not..."

"Blair. You and I are inevitable," Chuck went through. "We are each other's end. You are a compliment to me. We're the same. We play games, that is what we do._"_

Chuck just had to say it, and for some reason, Blair wasn't having it. Tears formed in her eyes, and one drop skimmed down her cheek. Rather than being wooed by his words, Blair suddenly felt fear. But a confidence came in and pushed through what she really wanted to say.

"I don't want to play games anymore, Chuck," she pulled herself from him. "I went up there myself, because I loved you too much. But that doesn't change the fact that you knew I was suicidal enough to do that but didn't stop me, it doesn't change the fact that you exchanged me with a hotel. You knew from before of what Jack offered, and you accepted." Tears were falling down from her face, but Blair's facade was still strong. "You sent me up there just as much as I went there myself, and I don't want to play that game anymore Chuck."

"Then what do you want?" Chuck frowned.

"I want what Nate and Serena had," she spoke, and it was as if it went out itself. "Pure, simple love." Chuck let out a small laugh.

"You'll be bored after five minutes," he looked directly at her.

"Better bored than ashamed with myself," Blair spoke firmly. She wiped her tears off. "Goodbye Chuck, you know your way out." With that, she closed her bedroom door, closing her heart towards Chuck Bass, and didn't dare to wonder if she would be able to open her heart again.

Blair slumped herself on her bed, tears were pouring, but her looks were hard, she had done what she wanted and that broke her heart into pieces. But she did it, she tortured her feelings to be free, to get away from the danger that was herself, finally, she told herself, she deserved better. She deserved a guy who loves her as much as she loved him. She deserved to be happy.

With that, her new life comes to light.

* * *

><p>Dan sat around the loft during dinner. He had pizza and he was shuffling through his notes during his interview with Serena and the very polarizing Blair. He couldn't remember the last time anyone has argued with him so much. But he had this feeling that this thing with Blair happened to him once before, but he couldn't remember, nor does he care to be honest. Blair was on fire with her words at lunch, that he just had to shut everything she spoke off. Not that he was a gentleman himself by remarking in every way how she was really a bitch.<p>

He scrolled down his material and saw words by words were simply simple stuff he had to do. And one note came in. It was a note that Blair wrote when she took his pad.

_It's a wedding that is really out of the world considering the groom is basically everything a hipster can be and the bride is the queen of the Upper East Side, Lily Van Der Woodsen._

Dan chuckled on this. Anything off Upper East Side is like traits of decease.

Dan drafted his article, this was just beginning. There would be more on the food, the dress, the sappy things. But he felt like writing something else, which was rare since he hadn't felt like writing something else in a long while. He opened his laptop, and opened word. He stared at the blank page for awhile before he started typing.

**_Blair Waldorf, who is everything I hate about the Upper East Side, distilled into one 95 pound, doe eyed, bon mot tossing, label whoring package of girly evil._**

Dan smiled at his writing. It was mean, but it was the truth really.

_**I wouldn't be exaggerating if I told you Medusa wants her withering glare back.**_

Dan thought hard then, and he started typing again.

**_But this girl had written a note, saying how a wedding between a hipster and a bona fide queen of luxury is out of the world, which tells me she's a romantic. I am almost confident that she loved those kind of stories, even if she halfway insulted the hipster's being, she loved the love between the two. That tells me, that she believed that even two people that are the exact opposite could attract._**

Now Dan really laughed at this because this is such an ironic thing to write, when he knew that Dan Humphrey and Blair Waldorf are the exact traits of what he wrote in the latter but never ever would it happen that both of them will be attracted to the other.

Dan sipped his beer, feeling kinda good that he wrote something, even of its short.

* * *

><p>It was morning and Blair wandered around in New York, with a bright smile on her face. She had stayed home since her semester hasn't started and she had begin to realize that being a lazy 22 years old is not healthy. She had ended a romance that lasted 4 years so not doing anything was new. Before she would go to events with Chuck since he was always with an event due to Bass Industries. Then Collette, her mother's New York Assistant came in to find some files. Her mother had given her an instructed job to solve a problem with W Magazine's jumbled out confusion with Eleanor's Fall line. Blair cornered Collette and told her that her mother had instructed that she took care of it for business learning. Blair was really convincing in her lie and ended up in front of W magazine, relieved to have something to do.<p>

She looked around, liking the area. Everyone strutting the road busy working, everyone so professional in her eyes. She had liked the working world now since her Yale dreams had only been replaced by Columbia. She dreamed to have a career, and her goal was to be a powerful respectable woman. She wouldn't admit to anyone else but she wanted to be her mother, independent and confident. Maybe this is her first step towards that and she's excited.

She had forgotten how she wanted to be independent when she was so busy with keeping up with Chuck. But now that things were over, she finally opened her eyes to the things before, where she wanted so much to excel in school, where she wanted to be her own in independence, where she wanted to be respected. She loved Chuck, but now it feels that it wasn't enough for herself. She wanted so much more for herself, before she let her walls down for love again.

Blair entered the building and she liked it. She liked the way a career looks like. She smiled, maybe this is what she ought to do after graduation. In her 2nd year of college, she had her internship in Cyrus' law firm and as much as she tried to fake it, she wasn't really liking the fact that Cyrus had lent his help in finding her an internship. She wanted to feel the hardship in a career, she was born to do everything not handed to her. So the thought of finding her own job excites her.

Blair's dreams were interrupted when a tall woman looked at her strangely. "Can I help you?" she said.

"Umm, I'm here to meet Stefano Tonchi," Blair smiled. The woman still looked at her strangely.

"As in Editor in Chief Stefano Tonchi?" the woman asked. Blair nodded, her confidence soared. "I'm sorry but you just came in here and asked to meet with Stefano Tonchi. Who are you to just do that?"

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Blair Wa..." she stopped, she remembered her independence state, and having a Waldorf as a name would not make her independent. She scrambled a common name she could find. "Humphrey. Blair Humphrey." She notes herself to find a more refined name later. She wasn't sure why his name pops up suddenly.

"Okay, Miss Humphrey, what do you have business with Stefano?" she looked down at her. Blair frowned, she was a real stuck up.

"I'm here on behalf of Eleanor Waldorf. You see, we have a few problems with the lay out for the fall fashion line in your fall issue," Blair stepped her game, she had her head high, she wasn't letting this woman get to her. But the woman laughed.

"You must be mistaken. I did the lay out for the fall issue myself. There is no problem with it," the woman smiled, not sincerely. Blair had her head higher.

"I don't make mistakes here because I see what I see on the layout and its not a complete vision Eleanor's creation. She had a meeting with Stefano and she have visioned clearly what she wanted of the lay out. Eleanor is pretty demanding but thats the price for her talent," Blair smiled praising her own mother.

"I was in the meeting too and I am clear to the fact on what Eleanor wanted," the woman still looked down on Blair, and she wasn't having it. But to Blair, this woman is ridiculously easy to handle.

"Maybe you weren't listening enough because then I wouldn't be here," Blair challenged. The woman sighed, she thought Blair was really young and naive.

"Okay, miss, I'm gonna be clear here. The only way to get a meeting with Stefano is through me, his assistant, and I don't see that happening any time soon, or at all," the woman placed a fake smile. Blair lost her smile, but not her confidence, she was collecting some strategy in her brain.

"Oh don't worry, I'll find a way there," Blair returned the fake smile. And then, she out of the building again. She looked at her phone and called up some of her minions. "We got a job to do, fast."

* * *

><p>Dan had a date, or a set up. Neil thought it was a good thank you give for giving him a gig before, but no, Dan doesn't do blind dates, but Neil urged him for it. Description of the lady as Neil had said, "She's tall, blonde, gorgeous, long legs and boobs, definitely your type!"<p>

"How do you know if I had a preference, or even any preference?" because he doesn't, his last girlfriend was the opposite of that description.

"This girl is everyone's type, Dan! And you are going on a date with her!" Neil patted his back. Dan shook his head. "Oh yes you are. I'm making you."

"How?"

"By literally pestering you till lunch. You know how I am. Judy is admiring her ring with her sisters and her mom so I got all day to pester you to go to that dinner date."

Dan sighed. Like he had a choice.

"Fine," Dan said while Neil cheered. "Whats her name?"

"She said she rather find out from you so I think its better if you found out from her," Neil said and Dan looked at him. "What, its pretty romantic to start a date with knowing names."

"How did you know this girl anyway?"

"Thanks to the job you gave me, I met her at the food tasting event, and we were talking in groups and she said she was rusted in the relationship department due to her job and I said, 'Maybe I can hook you up with my colleague'," Neil told him.

"So you just hook me up with a stranger basically," Dan said as a matter of fact.

"Dan," Neil hold his shoulder. "She's hot, just go." Dan sighed again, what doesn't kills him makes him stronger right.

Here he is in front of Veselka (Neil wanted to have Dan comfortable so he picked a restaurant that Dan likes, cheeky lad). The restaurant was renovated beautifully, still had its original essence but they put more colors to fit the Ukranian style on it. He entered, waved slightly at the owner and found himself a table. So he waited for a blonde bombshell, but not entirely eager either.

* * *

><p>"So why are we here again?" Blair's red headed minion Hazel looked at her friend, another of Blair's minion, a black haired Penelope by her side.<p>

"Blair called us to snoop on that woman, Hazel. She is quote, a jeopardy towards Eleanor's fashion line," Penelope said, while looking around. Both of them were in front of W building. The woman who is ought to jeopardize Eleanor's fashion line went out. "There she is, lets go."

So the trailing begun, and Blair's minions snooped creatively under Blair's teaching before. The woman kept walking and she got a cab. Hazel signaled and a car service came. They followed.

"What if she just went home, what can we use on that?" Hazel asked.

"Then we have her address."

The cab had a long ride and therefore they had a long stalking. The cab stopped in front of a restaurant, and the minion's car stopped too. The woman entered the restaurant and Penelope went out of the car, into the restaurant, pretending she was a customer. Hazel stayed in the car for a watch out. Penelope saw that the woman was meeting a guy, it was a date. She smiled. She could use this. She snapped a picture of the two and left. The picture should be enough.

* * *

><p>Dan sighed and looked at his watch. His date still hasn't arrived. But she remembered what Neil said. <em>"She might not be punctual because her job is taking her all night sometimes." <em>Dan hoped her work would take her all night today because he wasn't really in the mood for any date. But that didn't happen. A blonde came in, and just like Neil described, tall, long legs and boobs. Well, sort of not, she's a fine size but not really boobs. Then he remembered that Judy was flat, and then he wanted to knock himself dead for downsizing women by thinking about boobs.

"You must be Neil's friend," the woman smiled. She is pretty. She held her hand out and Dan took it. "I'm Eperly."

"Dan Humphrey," he smiled. Eperly sat in the empty seat in front of him and laid out a file on the table.

"I actually know you and I firstly wanted to apologize that I am here not because I wanted a date," Eperly told him, which made him confused. Not that he was saddened by the fact that the blonde bombshell didn't want to date him but purely because she knows him. From where? "I worked for Stefano Tonchi from W magazine. And he really loved your articles."

"All articles that I wrote were only on Marital Columns," Dan chuckled.

"You know thats not true," Eperly said. "You wrote tons more of articles back when you were in college, and those were the ones that meets Stefano's eyes. You go by the name Porter Collins and we tracked down that it is as a matter of fact, Daniel Humphrey writing." Dan was surprised the lady knew of his articles in college. "You even took a chance to write on Bart Bass." That shocked him the most. Somebody else knew about that.

"I didn't.. How did you?" Dan was speechless.

"I have my coverage in Dartmouth," Eperly smiled. "But you didn't send it. Why?"

Dan was silent, his world was really in a weird place now. The Upper East Side was now his family, his father pushing further into his life, and Bart Bass came back to haunt him. Everything happened all at the same time that he felt dizzy.

"Is it because he died?" Eperly asked.

"No, not because he's dead," Dan finally answered. "Because I know him for 2 months undercover and found out he is a good man. I know his secrets and I'm not proud of it, and I respect him enough that I keep it." Dan told her firmly. "If you want the dirt of Bart Bass, you can leave now."

"Dan, don't get me wrong. I work for W not the New Yorker. I'm interested in fashion and I'm not here to get the dirt of a dead man," Eperly explained.

"Then why are you here?"

"Like I said before, Stefano liked your work. I was about to send this proposal earlier in the food tasting event but it turns out you were absent and Neil came in. I just had to see you in person to say, we wanted to offer you a job," Eperly opened her file and placed a piece of paper in front of him.

"I already have a job."

"Keep it. Because this job doesn't require you to be in the office often. Stefano wanted to draw a new column in the magazine, about the life of the rich," Eperly proposed. "You were very good in describing the Upper East Side in college. Snotty remarks about a website called Gossip Girl, very clever."

"Which could lead me to death if any of those people found out," Dan said.

"Well, then choose another alias for this," Eperly said. She saw Dan became quiet because those articles before, they were pretty nasty. "We didn't want you to write bad about them Daniel, just write generally of them. Like the styles and the trends. You weren't trendy by the looks of it but you definitely featured well on what they wear. We want that. Since our magazine is a once a month release, you can keep your job. If you wanted to go by your own name, it shouldn't be a problem. Stefano knew Peter pretty well."

"I don't know. I mean I..."

"Think about it first, okay," Eperly said. "We won't push you but we hope you would accept." Eperly stood up from her seat. "You know whats weird, there is a brunnete this morning who had the same surname as you. I would have thought she's your sister if I haven't known Jenny Humphrey is a blonde." With that she was gone. And Dan rather have an awkward date than that. Eperly was scary.

* * *

><p>"So what have you got for me?" Blair asked when her minions met her at the Van Der Woodsen's. Blair was there to help Serena and Lily for the wedding. She pulled herself for awhile to get some work for her own done.<p>

"She had a boyfriend," Penelope pulled her phone up and showed her a picture of Eperly having dinner date with...

"Dan Humphrey?" she claimed, taking the phone out of Penelope's hand to look closer. She smiled. "Such an ironic thing. Dan Humphrey, you just pop up in my life over and over again."

"You know that hot guy?" Hazel asked and Blair eyed her.

"He is not hot, Hazel. This just makes everything a lot easier," Blair smiled as she disappeared to look for Serena. And there she is, looking through catalogs of wedding plans with Lily. "Serena, I need Humphrey's number!"

"B. I know you had this annoying urge to put him down every now and then, but lets let it slide for once," Serena sighed and Blair was confused.

"I wasn't talking about the silly annoying guy, Serena, I meant Jenny!" Blair said. And Serena had a questioned look on her face.

"Why would you need Jenny's number?"

Blair sighed. "She's a designer right, she's in fashion school. And it was a coincidence that my mum is searching for an intern right now, so since she dress even better than Penelope or Hazel combined, I think she's a perfect candidate." Blair smiled, ignoring the looks given by Penelope and Hazel who arrived just in time to hear the insults she had given them.

"Blair, thats a pretty brilliant idea," Lily came forward. "Jenny would love that." Blair gave a reassuring smile to Lily but Serena was not buying it. Something was up.

"Blair, whats your agenda?" Serena asked.

"Nothing. I just wanna help the youngest Humphrey thats all," Blair smiled innocently. Oh she has an agenda.

And there Blair was, 10 pm in her penthouse, waiting for the youngest Humphrey to come in. She was a bit late, but that was to be forgiven since she had to cross the Brooklyn bridge or wherever she is staying. Right about time, Jenny Humphrey, thrilled that Blair Waldorf had called her to talk about an internship with her mother, the famous designer Eleanor Waldorf, came in. Blair smiled. _"I can really get you now Eperly."_

"Jenny, you've made it," Blair offered a smile. She was right about something. Jenny did dress better than Penelope and Hazel combined. "A little late than planned but its okay."

"I'm sorry about that. But I'm really excited that you called about an internship with your mother!" Jenny was happy, it was shone in her face that Blair pretty much felt guilty that she kinda was using the blonde. Oh wait, she doesn't have to.

"Lets have a seat before we discuss the real deal okay," Blair took Jenny to the living room. Blair sat and so did Jenny. "Listen, I can't just get you the internship because at the end of the day it will be my mother's choice." Jenny listened to her carefully. "But I can at least put your name in for an interview, after that everything is on you." Blair didn't lie, she could do that easily. But it all comes down to a trade.

"I understand, I mean just getting an interview is great!" Jenny smiled brilliantly.

"But I have my own terms on this," with that, Jenny frowned at Blair's suddenly business like expression. "I need some information on your brother."

"Information on Dan?" Jenny was really confused now. What does Blair want from Dan?

"Well, particularly on his girlfriend, Eperly," Blair cut to the chase. She didn't need to know about Humpty Humphrey. Jenny was more confused now.

"Who's Eperly?" now its Blair's turn to be confused.

"Dan's girlfriend, Eperly. She works in W," Blair tried to refresh the young lady's mind. But Jenny knew nothing of Eperly.

"Dan hasn't had a girlfriend since he graduated from Dartmouth," Jenny told her and Blair was 100 percent confused now.

"But my minions saw him with Eperly, on a dinner date," Blair said, now she kinda wanna kill Penelope for the wrong info. Jenny shook her head.

"You must be mistaken. Dan isn't with anyone, I mean he is still pretty much in love with..." Jenny stopped, it wasn't her secret to tell. But too late, Blair caught that.

"Continue little J," Blair said, putting a spice of threat in her voice which made Jenny automatically opened up the secrets of her brother.

"Dan's last girlfriend, Vanessa, he's still in love with her."

"And what she dumped him?" Blair asked.

"No, Vanessa died, in a car crash, right on the day Dan graduated from Dartmouth," Jenny explained, eyes down. Blair was kinda shocked to hear this side of story. The guy who actually looked like he was free off any problems in the world actually coiled everything in, every pain in. Jenny continued, "You know he even told me he was going to marry her, because Vanessa was his forever. He actually bought a ring to propose to her on that very day, but she never make it."

Blair wasn't sure on what to do in the situation. She was in for something else but then she got something way different than initiated.

"He still hold himself to her?" Blair asked.

Jenny forced a small smile. "Every single day. You may not see it but I do. Its a reason why he is so cold to dad."

"Wait what does your dad have to do with it?"

"Um, dad he uh, he was the one driving," and suddenly, everything makes sense. "Dad and Vanessa was supposed to meet us at the graduation ceremony, Dan and I went first. It was strange at first how dad is late because he was always so punctual and the next thing I know I got a call from mom saying that there had been an accident. We rushed through the hospital doors and we actually had a sigh of relief when we heard dad was fine, he had bruises but he was fine."

Jenny stopped there and took a huge breath before continuing. "Dan asked where Vanessa was, and dad went silent. Then it clicked that she was gone and that was the last time I saw my brother and my dad actually had a natural conversation between them."

Blair was silent, it all seemed clear to her now, why he was so hostile towards his own father, why he couldn't be the blabbing Humphrey he is when his father was in the same room, he was still so tied up to the ghost of his girlfriend.

* * *

><p>Dan sat around in his cubicle, it was almost midnight and he was still sitting in his cubicle. Neil called to ask about the date, he replied firmly on, "You ass". Dan sighed deeply and looked around nowhere. He can't help but think about the haunting Bart Bass. He was never a liar but he ended up being a conman once.<p>

_Flashback_

_"Porter Collins sir," Dan smiled, sharp in suit, undercover, suitcase in one hand, hand held in front of Bart Bass. Bart ignored the hand._

__"And what do a Mr. Collins have business with me?" Bart was icy, he was simply not warm.__

__"I'm here for an internship sir," Dan was confident. He wasn't really a good liar to begin with but now it was as if he was a conman.__

__"I don't hire interns, sorry."__

__"Which is why I brought some documents that could help you raise at least 30% rising in the Bass Industries stock," Dan smiled handing a few documents to Bart. Some economy expert in Dartmouth had helped him wrote those draft based on the real margins in Bass Industries. All he had to do now is carry out the acting. "Scan it at all sides, its pretty impressive."__

__Bart scanned the documents, the young lad was right. It was a brilliant proposal. "Who are you?"__

__"Porter Collins, fresh graduate from NYU Business Managment School," Dan smiled, he had taken the mogul's interest.__

__End Flashback__

* * *

><p><strong> Okay, I know I said there will be fire and building but I wanna scratch that, because I had a better idea and its going to be in the ongoing chapters. BAD NEWS BLAIR part 1 is in here! Haha, I really loved those line in Gossip Girl so I just had to put it. BAD NEWS BLAIR part 2 will be in the next chapter. And was it shocking to see why Dan is so cold to his dad? I hope it did.<strong>

**Blair- Okay, here's the deal, I wanted Blair to be a strong independent woman by letting Chuck go. In a way she was holding him in because he's the only strength she knew for 4 consecutive years and now that she finally lets him go, she found a new strength. I want a Blair that chooses Dan when she is the strongest because I liked the idea that Dan liked that side of Blair. So yeah, she's done with Chuck, but that doesn't mean she's not sad about it. Its Blair so she can definitely suppress her feelings well and her real feelings after breaking it off with Chuck will surface next chapter.**

**Dan as a writer. I liked that he had a darker side when he was in college because I believed that our ambitions are at the peak when we are in college. And Vanessa had everything to do with him just working on Marital Columns now. **

**Toodles... XOXO**


	4. The Other Humphrey

**Animosity**

******Chapter 4 : The Other Humphrey******

"I have everything under control mother don't worry," Blair assured her mother through the phone. Eleanor Waldorf wasn't buying it. She was not satisfied with Blair's sudden involvement in her work. She received a worried phone call from Collette telling her that her daughter had taken over her poor assistant's job, all of it. The order shipment, the W magazine misunderstanding, the in-between from Eleanor to her clients, everything. Eleanor was sure Blair had stated when she entered Columbia, all she wanted was to be a powerful woman. The list goes on with Indra Nooyi, Sheryl Sandberg, Margaret Hamburg, without Eleanor's name on it. Blair stated pretty clearly since she was 15 that she doesn't want to be her mother so this sudden turn of interest was very new.

As Blair tried to convince her mother again and again that she has everything fine under her wing, Dorota watches her curiously. She thought when Chuck had came before it will be good again, it always has. Blair said so herself. But then she found that Blair ended her 3 years relationship, and moved on. Or looked like she had moved on. Suddenly, Blair took all the job that she can do. First it was when she had decided to follow Dorota in all her duties, and then she stepped into Constance and snickered at her newly crowned Queen B, saying she does it all wrong. Blair had the poor girl in meetings three times a week. Not only that, Blair recently did all the cooking, she never cooked before if Harold was absent. Now she stole all of Eleanor's assistant's job, practically running Eleanor's office in New York.

Blair hung up and sighed, "Mother always worry too much."

"Miss Blair, don't you think you work too hard?" Dorota asked.

"And sometimes mother figures too," Blair smiled, she held her blackberry to text her minions. "Prepare my minions for plan B. Eperly really needs to learn that no one mess with a Waldorf."

"What happens with sabotaging Dan Humphrey?" Dorota asked. Blair thought about that for 2 seconds too long.

"Lets just say I take in pity party on Humpty Humphrey suddenly," Blair said before ushering Dorota to continue their plan. The sudden question on Dan made her think of what Jenny said yesterday, how at the point where he was finally wanting to commit, his girlfriend was taken away that easily. Not only that but the relationship with his dad too. _Vanessa is still haunting him. _Dorota saw Blair's silent gesture and mistaken it for her thinking about Chuck.

"Miss Blair. Is separating with Mr Chuck making you work so hard?" Dorota asked, and Blair realized she hasn't thought about Chuck for awhile, maybe because she was too busy with everything.

"Don't be silly Dorota," she sighed. Dorota was always delusional.

"Miss Blair, if Mr Chuck is not the one, we can list down all the bachelors and find you a date, like before," Dorota said hoping her miss would oblige.

"Dorota, that was high school. And I am not looking for any bachelor or Mr Right or the one right now," Blair shrugged, trying to walk off to continue her work.

"But Miss Blair, you might tire yourself."

"Seriously Dorota. Waldorf women does not tire themselves, and you seem to inherit them for whatever reasons because you are now not to tired to shower me with mumblings of worry," Blair scoffed. Before she disappeared into the kitchen, she looked back at Dorota. "Please do report to Serena that I'm doing fine by the way."

Blair walked into the kitchen, swinging the apron around her body and tied it around her waist. She scanned the refrigerator and took out the marinated chicken she had done yesterday. She looked at it for awhile with an empty stare. "What the hell am I doing?"

* * *

><p>"Dan?" Jenny looked around the loft for her brother. She went to find him in his office before, but his colleague said he took the day off. She called his phone but his line was busy all the time. Jenny went in and saw papers are everywhere, crumpled on the floor. She took one of the crumpled paper and read it down, smiling a little. She looked on the table counter and his type writer was out. <em>Dan is writing again. <em>With that thought, a huge relief suddenly came to her. Dan had stopped writing after Vanessa passed. Yes he writes in the marital column, but this is real writing, stories, the personified fictions he always loved. And usually it was when Dan felt nostalgic he took out the typewriter, a gift from Rufus when he was 5. The fact that he had took it out might mean two things; either he forgot that the typewriter is from Rufus or he had finally forgiven his father. She hoped for the latter.

"Dan?" she called again and saw that no one answered. Jenny thought he might be out but then she heard noise from the rooftop. As she went up the stairs, Dan's voice became clear and here he was talking to his phone, serious slided with animated expressions.

"Yes, I know that but that won't work. We need something more, substance, we can't just lead through it like it is," Dan muttered. He talks much. Dan finally noticed Jenny and she waved slightly. "Listen, call me back when you find more substance. I can't write like this."

_He really is writing again. _"Hey did I disturb you with something?" Jenny tried to hide her big smile. She failed.

"Nope. That was just Eperly who is being fairly ridiculous about the Upper East Side topic of the month," Dan smiled and hugged his sister for a second, not noticing Jenny's questioning look of the name Eperly, where had she heard that name? "How are you Jen? Lily said you had a fever."

"Good, As you can see I'm better now. Fashion school is amazing as you know. And well, I don't really have an interesting life rather than sewing," Jenny followed him back into the loft.

"Any new boyfriends I should threaten?" Dan chuckled when Jenny swatted his arm. Dan took two steps in before he realized his home was a mess. "Sorry to have you in when everything is practically everywhere." Dan swapped the crumpled papers on the floor to throw it out.

"You're writing?" Jenny feel her enthusiasm coming.

"Yeah," and her enthusiasm jolted up. "For W mag, I'm going there this noon," and it fell back into confusion.

"W? I never knew you were into fashion Dan?" she looked at his grey shirt and pajama pants while he placed two mugs in front of her. "I still think you aren't into it at all."

"I'm not," Dan poured coffee into the mugs. "W is having this new column where it tells the substance of our own Upper East Side and their vicinity. They hired me to do the monthly column, while I keep my job in the New York Post. Good money eh?" Dan smiled slurping his coffee.

"Is this something like your hate articles towards the Upper East Side in college, because you're mean in that and I hate mean Dan coming back," Jenny eyed her brother.

"Nope, not at all. Of course my sarcasm will still be present, 90 percent of it but no, not like those days where I am an idiot who thinks Brooklyn is kingdom," Dan opened his fridge and took a piece of sandwich.

"Dan you hated the Upper East Side," Jenny reminded him.

"Hate is a very strong word. Its more to a disliking some of the ways, less loving the people who are more privileged than I am. Which is hypocrite of me because I live in the biggest loft in Brooklyn, now I know that. And Carter proved that not all trust fund kids are as bad as I thought they were," Dan said.

"And where exactly is Carter now?"

"In Vegas, gambling every money he have," Dan said as if that was no big deal.

"Your judgment sucks at times you know that right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, really," Dan gave her a wide grin. Jenny was surprised. It had been a long time since Dan had been so carefree like this. Usually he's kinda... beige about everything. When Vanessa went, she kinda took his excitement too. After that Dan had been a Yes and No person. Now he is writing, he is making joke, he is so... free.

Then it hits her. "You have a new girlfriend and you didn't tell me," it hurts her a bit. Dan almost choke his coffee. He gave an inaudible 'what' to his sister. It all makes sense now. Blair had told her about Eperly and she thought the Brunette was wrong. She was right. "Eperly. Thats why you are this happy."

"What are you..."

"Your new girlfriend, her name is Eperly, and she works at W," Jenny said, Dan was more confused, "Oh my God, and you work at W too now. You are having a workplace affair!"

"Jenny, please stop talking. That is usually my job," Dan signaled her to stop. "How do you even know Eperly?"

"Blair told me," that was new to Dan.

"Blair?" _that girl really likes to pop in and out of my life. _"And she told you that Eperly was my girlfriend?"

"She said she needed information about quote 'your brother, particularly on his girlfriend, Eperly'," Jenny rewind her memories.

"Well, for one do not trust the likes of Blair Waldorf, she can twist you into a knot you could barely stay alive," Dan said running his hand through his hair. "And no, Eperly is not my girlfriend, she's the second hand in charge in W. She offered me the job and well, its nice to write something that doesn't involve white cakes for a change."

Jenny was still confused. "What caused this change then?"

Dan thought the same question, "I dunno. I never really got to the point of thinking that yet."

* * *

><p>"Eperly," Blair nodded. She was in the W office again. All work was according to plan but this. Eperly was a fighter, a good one and she wasn't letting it down on Blair's terms on how she works.<p>

"You do realize that the issue is about done to go to the printers and again, the layouts are fine," Eperly sighed. The girl had bothered her twice a day now. Not to mention today was not a good day at all. Yesterday Dan Humphrey had agreed to do the column for W, she was glad because Stefano showered her with gratitude. Today, Eperly laid her initial ideas to Dan via email and he was not having it. That did not upset her at all, she had gone through worse with writers. But what's annoying her was Stefano's words, "Eperly, Daniel has a point, your idea is bland. I wanna hear his ideas. Have him come to the office." That never happened. Today was not a good day at all, and now another Humphrey (remember, Blair was undercover) was bothering her with layouts.

"But that is not what Eleanor agreed. She sent me hear clearly because we have a problem," Blair set out the layouts. "These shoes are meant to be with long dresses, pair it with short dresses? That calls in slut. And here these bangles with this type of dress, what are you? 5?"

"Ms. Humphrey, I assure you that we have professional stylist with us while doing this layouts and we based everything on Eleanor's demands so I can guarantee you that it is the correct matching," Eperly sighed, her nerves are kicking. And she could see Blair was not having any of that.

"That is where you are wrong. Eleanor's fashion are not about the trend now, its about the new art she builds. She set the art, not following the old nuisance of leggings and gladiators," Blair knew her mother's design well. In the morning, she got Eleanor's approval (finally) by folding out her knowledge in taste and fashion. Her mother was impressed, almost anyway. Because she had Collette follow Blair to the office, much to Blair's dismay. "And whats up with 'Try it with a bed head'? That is not fashion statement, thats just murder."

"Ms. Humphrey!" Eperly have had it. "Stefano had pull out that this is the layout he wants, he has the full command on this, so..."

"Thats why I need to speak with him, not you," Blair cut her off. Eperly's high pitched anger did not bother her one bit. Collette who basically stand still behind Blair was shocked that she had the nerve to do that. Eperly stared at her, annoyed. Before she thought this girl was just an intern wannabe, turns out, she's the annoying intern wannabe. Blair was known to not give up on anything, she is not a quitter. Before she had her internship with Cyrus and even he thought Blair was the best worker he ever had in his office. Because she is disciplined, she is strict, she plays dirty but in any jobs it will seem very fair. Eperly thought if she wasn't here annoying her to see Stefano Tonchi, she would hire her in an instant because this girl got the goods. She doesn't only talks, she walks too. Her determination really shined.

"Its still a no," Eperly sighed. She does not have time for this. Before Blair tried to nag her again, she saw the other Humphrey walked in. "Daniel. Good to see you here."

The name froze Blair. She looked back and saw Dan frowning to see her here. And he was in his writer's suit again, only this time his hair was dry. _Still killing fashion though._ "What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you that question," Dan said, still frowning."I work here."

_Oh so thats why he had dinner with Eperly. _Blair would deny it if anyone asked but she had been wondering why Dan was having dinner with Eperly.

"Are both of you related somehow?" Eperly asked seeing that the two knows each other. "Because you are both Humphreys."

"What, no. She's a Wa..." with that Blair pulled Dan away from Eperly at a distance where she wouldn't be able to hear them. "What the hell Waldorf?"

"I'm using your surname as a disguise alright. Eperly thinks I'm Blair Humphrey," Blair said putting full disgust on the Humphrey.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because if I said I'm a Waldorf then she will easily give me what I want," Blair explained, but it really didn't make sense to Dan.

"Isn't that simpler?" Dan frowned.

"No. It is not. I may live in the Upper East Side but I do not like everything handed to me in silver spoon, okay," Blair said. Dan was quite surprised at the statement. "I wanna try to get something by my own, because thats how my mother gets it, so thats how I'll do it too."

Dan was silent for awhile. "And what makes you use my name?"

Blair thought about it. "It just pops into my head."

"Okay then," Dan was still slightly confused by this whole situation. But the his conversation with Jenny that morning hits him. "Why do you think Eperly was my girlfriend?"

"What?"

"Jenny told me."

"Oh that," Blair wasn't sure what to tell him. She was about to say its none of his business but the look he has kinda challenged her, like he was mocking or something. "I send some of my minions to check up the dirt on Eperly. And they saw you at dinner with her, thinking that you are his boyfriend, and I kinda had little J in to snoop some dirt." All in one breath, she let it out quickly. She didn't say the part where she knew about Dan's past though. That would be weird.

"Oh well, she's not," he didn't know why he had to explain that to her. "She's my boss, or half boss anyway. At the end of the day, you only have to listen to Stefano."

"Why do you say that?" Blair asked. Stefano had all the power in W, but usually what is given for him to decide will need his assistant's approval first.

"Because I kinda ignored her ideas like every part of it and Stefano wants to hear my ideas now," Dan let out a cocky grin. But Blair was stunned at one point in his statement.

"How did you manage to get rid of Eperly that easily?"

"I didn't. Stefano liked my writing, and I guess if Stefano likes you enough, you'll get to him faster than Eperly got her job here," Dan said, looking at Eperly who was eying them. "Which is why I'm here meeting Stefano, not Eperly."

Blair had an idea. Though she found herself fighting that idea because no way would she ever do that. _He's Dan Humphrey, he's from Brooklyn. He dresses awfully. He is all sorts of annoying. He's from Brooklyn! If anyone find out about this, that would life long humiliation! _

"Humphrey," she began, composing herself. "I have a proposal for you, a very big one." Dan eyed her, she has something mischievous underneath those dark lashes. "Marry me."

-30 minutes later-

Dan and Blair were waiting in front of Stefano's office, with Blair having the largest grin on her face and Dan slightly confused with the situation. He was thinking and thinking, _What the hell am I doing?_

Eperly went out of Stefano's office, a clear unsatisfactory expression on her face. "You can go in now."

Blair jumped from her seat while Dan stood up, still confused on the terms he had just signed for. Dan went in first when Blair pushed him inside while she followed. Stefano was there siting in his chair slowly looking through some papers. He looked up and smiled when he saw Dan.

"Daniel Humphrey," his accent was thick and his smile was genuine. "It my very pleasure to see you." He shook his hand and then his eyes bore to Blair. "This is?"

Dan was silent and Blair nudged his ribs. "Oh yeah. This is..." he took a moment. "This is my wife, Blair."

* * *

><p>"Are you sure we can't just go to Las Vegas and have an Elvis wedding?" Rufus asked scanning the wedding cost in his hand. That was only one of them.<p>

"Rufus, we are not young at 18 anymore. I think we should do this properly," Lily said, looking at wedding magazines. "Besides, its the first time that my future husband is paying for the wedding." Rufus smiled. If he was back at 18 he would never believed that one day he could afford Lily's lifestyle. He's a music producer now, he started independently once Dan voiced out in middle school that he wanted to go to Dartmouth. He needed another job because Ivy Leagues weren't cheap. He never thought that music was the job that will make him rich, or at least never in debts. He got the loft in Brooklyn after his first artist actually stayed 2 weeks on the top 10 Billboard Charts, and by then on, he helps people creating their art through music. Last year he opened a gallery in Brooklyn, accustomed only to arts that had musical personalities to it, the gallery that had him meet Lily again.

"Well I still think we should get our freak on," he said trying to sound young. Didn't work. Jenny entered the penthouse, swinging her bag on the sofa and sat next to him. She was excited about something.

"Dan is writing again!" Jenny exclaimed, no hello, no kiss on the cheek, she just jumped to her dad.

"Honey, Dan is always writing. Its his job," Rufus said, suddenly feeling down by having his son as the topic.

"No dad, I mean real writing! He's also doing a column in W mag now, that one was weird but take a look at this," Jenny took a crumpled paper out of her bag and gave it to Rufus. "He was going to throw that away but I took it, for proof." Lily took an interest when she stopped flipping her magazines.

Rufus looked at the paper and read it out loud. "I met her again in Central Park, she had broken a shoe. I stare, but there she was acting nowhere like the broken figure I thought she was. She was calmed by the green scenery, or maybe somehow the green scenery blurred my eyes, all I could say, I can't stop looking." Rufus stopped when there are handwritten notes underneath the typed paragraph. "Fuck Humphrey, don't be too cheesy." Rufus laughed when Lily shushed him on his curse.

"You see now?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, he is writing again," Rufus now had some burden off his shoulders. Dan was not tempting to shut himself out from the world anymore. At least some of him is out there doing what he knows best.

"He even took out the typewriter you gave him," this words had Rufus immediately looked at his daughter's eyes. She wasn't lying. "He's coming through."

"Are you sure?" Rufus did not want to have high hopes on something unsure. Because he regretted being the one to cause Vanessa to be taken away, and he regrets even more that it made his own son walk away from him. Dan never said that its Rufus' fault, but the way he always detach himself off Rufus makes it feel like he blamed his father, more than anything. "Maybe I can go talk to him now or..."

"Rufus," Lily started. He looked at his soon-to-be wife. "Believe in him. Thats all you need to do. Do not push him. Let it be his terms."

"I know Lil, its just..." Rufus stopped for a moment. "Frustrating that I don't have my son with me."

"I know. But be patient. He'll come around. The fact that he comes by every meeting I had for him, and the fact that he never said no when you asked him to have dinner together, means even Daniel doesn't want to push away. He's trying, so you need to try your patience as well."

Rufus looked at Lily. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I just told my boss that I'm married," Dan said, shoving his hand through his hair. "To you even."<p>

Dan and Blair were in Central Park, sitting on the very bench that Blair had before nudged the homeless man to get off. Blair had a grin on her face, she was very, VERY satisfied to see Eperly's look when Stefano commanded her to change the layouts to Eleanor's demands. She had achieved it. Even if that means in front of the whole office of W she was shamefully married to Dan Humphrey, she got what she wants. They started by reluctantly holding hands in front of Eperly explaining that their surname was the same because they were married. When Eperly asked about their wedding bands, Dan came up with 'Love is the stronger band' shit he found out before from a married couple he was assigned to.

"Oh Humphrey, you should be glad that you got to at least faked being married to someone with a high status like me," Blair smiled her usual smirk. Dan rolled his eyes. "Normally I wouldn't be close to you without a tetanus shot." Dan eyed her, she was still smiling innocently.

"I just realized I've been used by some evil dictator of taste," Dan said. Blair looked at him for explanation. "Why in God's name does lemon yellow differs from mustard yellow? They are both yellow."

"This is where I don't understand how can you get a job at W," Blair retorted. "Oh wait, I do. You vainly used us Upper East Sider as the villain in your articles." Stefano actually took out most of Dan's old mean articles about the Upper East Side, much to his dismay, and set them on the table, saying what a genius he was. He wanted the same sarcasm on the life of the rich, with a note of 'Tone down the negativity though'.

"That was college and the fact I was an outsider in St. Jude does give it perks to just write whatever I wanted, nobody knows me," he said sternly. He was quite surprised that Blair wasn't stomping her feet on how he bravely wrote the dirty deeds of the Upper East Side. In fact, one or two should be related to her, or in fact, majority of it should be related to her.

"Well now you're gonna be one of us though since your dad is marrying our own royalty, Lily Van Der Woodsen. Then again you can use that to make another dirty deeds articles about us," Blair hinted with full sarcasm. Then she saw him sighing. _Oh right I forgot about the whole Daddy Issue._

"I'm not gonna write those things anymore okay. It was pretty judgmental of me to do that," Dan simply said. Blair looked at him when he went silent. He wasn't really an open book. The last time they were here, he was smiling pretty annoyingly, grinning from ear to ear. But now, it seemed that those articles Stefano brought up had him pretty down.

"For whats worth, I thought it was good," Blair admitted.

"I'm sorry what did you just say?" Dan looked at her.

"It was sharp. And well observed, your experience of observing all of us, you had some good insight," Blair said and she found herself facing a grinning Humphrey. "Now is where my compliments ends."

"Wow, I can't believe Blair Waldorf just complimented me," Dan chuckled. She actually smiled at his small laugh. "So tell me, are we gonna do it or what?"

"You seriously gonna go with that terms?" Blair suddenly shrunk in her seat.

"Hey, I told my boss I am married to you out of all the people in the world, so I ought to get some reward," Dan said.

"I thought being 'married' to you is already the hardest punishment?"

"No thats both of our punishment. I already have Stefano and probably the whole W office pestering me on 'How is your wife?' question every time I go there after this so this is actually a thanks for ruining my new job," Dan said and Blair shot him an innocent smirk.

"By having me eating hot dogs?" Blair asked him. When he put that in his terms, he thought he was 10. But then again, he was the observant one and he may know by now that Blair would never eat something like a hot dog.

Dan stood up and walked towards the hot dog parlor, ordering two hot dogs, asking for extra mustard and mayo. That alone had Blair turned her face into disgust. Dan ushered Blair to come to him, and she resented him with all her might at that moment. "You said I'm evil but look at you being so nasty."

"Its not that bad trust me," Dan said smiling. He took the hot dog and placed in Blair's hands. He took his own then. "One for me and one for me wife."

"Ugh shut up," Blair said when she took her first bite of hot dog. She had to admit, it really wasn't that bad. It was still hot when she ate it and the extra mayo did make it kinda good.

Dan watched her slowly eating, smiled. He didn't know why he decided to help her when all in all, he might get in trouble for it. As for the term, he didn't know why he had chosen this term but a part of him just wanted her to live life at times. Bart Bass was not an Upper East Side man to begin with so while Dan was working under Bart, he often noticed that Bart complained that the Upper East Side is too tight with their rules. The reminder of Bart Bass kinda lets him down again. He was sorry that he had lied to an honest man and he was more sorry that he didn't get a chance to be in his good side again.

"I'm finished," Blair said, trying to hide that she liked it. She looked at him grinning. "What?"

"I know you liked it."

"No, I do not."

"Want mine?"

"Certainly not! I've done my punishment and..." she saw the trick now. Dan somehow knew that she might like it and the punishment wasn't to eat the hot dog, the punishment was to tease her about it for the rest of her life. "You son of a bitch."

"I know," Dan smiled, eating his own hot dog. "So whats next?"

"Rings."

"Excuse me?"

"We have to buy each of us a wedding ring. Its easier than to say 'Love is a stronger band' when I need to go to W after this," Blair said. "Plus its very cheesy Humphrey I mean really."

"You're paying though," Dan said wiping his hands with the tissue.

"How gentleman of you."

"You're the one who proposed to me, Waldorf," Dan pointed out. "Or should I say Mrs Humphrey?"

"Please. You should be Mr Waldorf, since you followed my lead," Blair snickered.

"You know what you should be careful, I can write bad things about you in W," Dan said as they started to walk out of Central Park.

"No, I trust you," that came out of nowhere. Blair caught Dan looking at her. She just shrugged him off by walking faster.

Dan's phone went off and he looked over to see it was Serena calling. "Hello?"

"I just saw on Gossip Girl of you and Blair eating hot dogs. Whats going on?" Serena asked.

"Oh that, um," he forgot that the Upper East Side has its eyes, Gossip Girl. "Its just a little dare I did with her. No big deal."

"Well now lets make it a big deal. You are on Chuck's radar now which means be careful. He stormed off to God knows where just now after he saw the picture," Serena was really worried.

"Chuck Bass?" seriously his world is one twisted knot now.

"Yes. And Blair just ended everything with him. He's upset and lost now and he can do anything to you. He might even blame you for his break up," Serena looked around when Nate came in, shaking his head, he lost Chuck. "Just be careful."

"O... kay?" Dan wasn't sure what to make in this situation. Just now he had declared to his boss that he was married to Blair Waldorf and now he was to blame for Blair Waldorf's break up with Chuck Bass. _This girl is really twisting my world._

"Oh since you're with her can you please look out for her a bit?" Serena said. "She's upset too and I think she's throwing herself into work because she doesn't wanna think about her break up."

"Um, yeah, sure," Dan wasn't sure, at all.

"Humphrey!" Blair called after Dan hung up on his phone. "Come on! Harry Winston is not gonna wait for us forever."

"Yeah, yeah sure," he jogged to her. Why is he still following her lead.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Spotted: Queen B and a hot dog with a really smashing new guy. Only these guy seemed to be an unfamiliar alumni of St. Jude's. Looks like B has finally let Chuck Bass go. XOXO.<em>**

Chuck looked at the Gossip Girl Blast over and over again in his phone in his limo. He scrolled to the picture that was attached. Blair was with another man, and slumming it as he might say. What worried him was how she could have such a guy have that close proximity towards her. And he hated the way the guy looked at her. He felt like ripping off his smile off his face.

He put down his phone and sighed heavily. He knew he had done it bad by trading Blair for a hotel, and he should have known it was just Jack Bass' tricks. His phone went off as another Gossip Girl Blast came in.

**_OMG. B and new guy in Harry Winston? Looks like B is really over C. XOXO._**

Scrolling down he saw a picture of Blair looking at a ring with the bastard beside her. _This guy should watch his back. Or maybe don't so it would be easier. _"Turn around. We're going to 5th Avenue."

* * *

><p>"You have such a bad taste in rings Humphrey," Blair noted him as she looked over the rings one by one.<p>

"Waldorf, its a fake marriage. I don't think buying something this expensive will be worth it," Dan said, almost having a heart attack by looking at the price.

"Its Harry Winston of course it will be worth it, dummy. Until we finally have to have our fake divorce, I want a nice ring on my hand whenever I show up in W," Blair said putting one ring to her finger. "You're borrowing though so when our terms end, you'll be giving your ring back."

"Sure, whatever," Dan rolled his eyes. He saw the assistant coming to them, smiling.

"May I help you?" she politely asked.

"Oh yes, me and my wife here need wedding bands," Dan pulled Blair to him, circling his arms around her waist. If she wan't to make his life a misery so could he. It takes two to tango.

"What, Humphrey!'

"My wife likes all kinds of glamor and I like it simple. Do you have anything of that?" Dan smiled.

"Yes we do actually. Hold please, we have something new just perfect for you," the assistant smiled and went to get the rings. That is when Blair smacked Dan's arm.

"Are you out of your mind? What now do you really like being married to me that you have to tell everyone?" Blair lowered her voice but she was angry.

"No, I just really like to make your life miserable," Dan said shoving his hand into his pockets. He grinned and she rolled her eyes. That was when she saw Chuck Bass walking into the store. Dan followed Blair's glare and immediately found himself shot by death glares.

"Blair," he said in his mysterious tone. Chuck eyed Dan for a bit who looked back totally feeling uncomfortable.

"Chuck what are you doing here?" Blair said couldn't resist herself from kind of hiding behind Dan. She was scared of him. No, she was scared if she would ran back to him. She made her mind, but her heart could change it all at once.

"I'm here because I had to see him myself," he looked at Dan and laughed. "Him really? This guy over me?" Dan was kind of offended by that statement. Whats wrong with him?

"Chuck its not what you think," Blair tried but she saw the disbelieve in Chuck's expression. She looked at Dan. "Right Humphrey?"

"Yeah, I mean we're not even friends. I swear," Dan said.

"Then come back to me Blair," Chuck pleaded. "We can start over and I could.. You are supposed to be with me finding our wedding bands here. You and I."

Dan peeked beside him and saw Blair tugging his suit like she did before when they were up against the homeless man in Central Park. She was scared. He knows that look, he knows it too well.

"No, Chuck. Its over. And it remains that way," Blair said before she let go of Dan's suit and ran off to the back door. Chuck tried to follow her but Dan stopped him.

"Dude, come on. Just let her be okay."

"Who are you anyway to be that near to her?" Chuck pushed Dan away. Then he got to see his face clearly. "You're that guy that saw Blair in Central Park."

"Uh yeah. And you need help," Dan said and the next minute he had his collar in Chuck's grip. "What the hell man?"

"You sick twisted bastard! What did you tell her?" Chuck yelled. One of the assistants ushered the security.

"I didn't..." and then Dan saw that Chuck was about to punch him. His instincts had him punch him first. The next thing he knew, Chuck was on the floor.

"Sir," Dan felt his arms being grabbed by someone and it was security. "I'm afraid I have to escort you out." He saw Chuck being escorted first and he didn't leave his eyes from Chuck, who glared back at him. Great, he'll punch Chuck more outside then. Chuck's father may be a good man but Dan somehow feel his son is a total asshole. Dan was almost by the door when the assistant that he saw before stopped the security.

"He's here with his wife. That man was the one who caused nuisance," the assistant said. The security lets him go and went, while the assistant smiled at him. "Sir, I think your wife needs you."

"What?"

There she was, Blair Waldorf, sitting on the floor at the end of the hallway, legs tucked under and looking down. She was so fragile and not just that, she was broken. It looked like she was crying but she wasn't. She just stared down to her skirt, trying so hard to get back up. Blair heard footsteps and then she sae Dan Humphrey, walking slowly and stopped in front of her, looking at her.

"No one asked for you to come here," Blair scoffed, trying to look high but failed.

"Believe it or not, I actually came here myself," he offered a small smile. Today was one hectic Blair Waldorf's day to him. Slowly he sat beside her sitting on the floor, sighing on what to say. He looked at her and she was still so broken.

"My uh, my girlfriend left when I graduated. She was in a car accident on the day Dartmouth wanted to give me a degree," he started and Blair looked at him, surprised that he was sharing that painful memory with her. "I was about to propose on the uh, the celebratory dinner but I guess that was canceled and I ended up in the hospital seeing her for the last time. Her lifeless body anyway. Sadly, I didn't only lose her, I lost my dad too." Dan laughed a bit at this. "He was driving the car, but he was fine. Though I just can't seem to look at him in the eye anymore that I started to just ran away from him." He fell silent at this, his painful smile was lost too.

"Do you blame him?" Blair asked. Dan looked at her, and shook his head.

"No," Dan said and again Blair was surprised. "I know its not his fault. Maybe it was fate that Vanessa had to go."

"Then why are you running away from him?"

"Because," Dan looked down. "Every time I see him, he reminded me of Vanessa. He reminded me of that day. When I heard they were in a car accident, I was thinking of both, I was scared of losing them both. So now every time I see him, that feeling came back and Vanessa seemed to ghost over me again and again." Dan feel silent yet again. "But then I get it that maybe its just me who couldn't let go." Blair saw that Dan suppressed his pain because she could see his eyes struggling to avoid any tears. "I don't hate him, I could never hate my dad. Until I face the fact that Vanessa is really gone, then I can face my dad without having every piece of my body urging to ran off."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Blair looked at him, suddenly forgetting why she was here in the first place.

"I don't really know," Dan laughed a bit. "Maybe because I think you are scared too. I saw how you look at Chuck just now. You clearly still love him."

"You're not gonna lecture me into going back to him are you?"

"No, not at all," Dan smiled. "I'm just saying that whatever happened between you two, you made a choice and you sure as hell put your feet down when you made one, but I see you're scared, and like me, you haven't face the fact yet that its over. But you wanted it to be over, so much. I'm just saying don't be a coward like I am, a stupid son who can't get over his dead girlfriend. You're brave, you even ate a hot dog for the sake of fulfilling some terms. I believe you can do better than I could in accepting the truth." Dan gave her a reassuring smile, but she can still see that pain in his eyes.

* * *

><p>Chuck had one black eye when Nate found him in a bar when its still daylight. He was drunk, way drunk.<p>

"Geez Chuck, what happened to you?" Nate said cutting the bartender from sending his friend any more drinks.

"Some dipshit punched me," Chuck looked at his glass empty. "Gimme more. Or send a whole bottle here."

"No Chuck I think you have had enough drink," Nate tried to get him off the bar but Chuck bailed.

"No! No!" Chuck yelled, causing a tantrum. Nate hold him so he wouldn't fell off the stool. "Dan Humphrey."

"What?"

"I... am gonna kill... Dan Humphrey."

* * *

><p>Blair hits home before the night came. She looked on her left hand, he had bought her the ring. Yes. Dan had bought the rings.<p>

_"I think you need something to cheer you up so how about," he squinted at the price tag. "All of Lily's payment to me going down to Harry Winston here to cheer you up."_

She smiled at that. He still was hiding his pain, she knew that. But she could also see that he was trying so hard to get over Vanessa. So that he could welcome his father back. Blair saw Dorota coming out of the kitchen, relieved that she was home.

"Miss Blair, are you okay?" Dorota asked, worried. Blair peeked at her ring and smiled.

"Yes." With that simple answer, she realized she was saying it for real this time. "Dorota, I need you to help me with a gratitude."

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Wowowowowo. Haha. How do you like Bad News Blair Animosity style part 2? I hope I did it good. By the way, the mention of Carter is on purpose as I am using him in future chapters. Is he a good guy or a bad guy? We'll see. Plus Dan and Blair fake marriage was my friend's idea. She thought it would be a good comparison to tv's Dan and Blair fake kiss. Haha. If its a bad idea, do tell. BTW, someone told me I should get Beta, but I'm like really lazy I kept postponing. Haha. Also someone said how so many things happened in the chapter before. I had that concern too but then I thought Blair always had so many things in her life happen at once so thats that, because she is upset, and she's trying not to be.<strong>

**Read and Review!**

**Small spoiler for the next chapter. Dan and Blair watch movie, in the loft, with pizza. ;) **


	5. It's Cute

**Animosity**

**Chapter 5 : It's Cute **

Standing there in silence is Blair Waldorf, in her Jimmy Choo's, looking straight at the Brooklyn Bridge from afar. She had everything in her mind planned out to thank Dan Humphrey properly (she even had the plan named 'The Dan Humphrey Gratitude') but nothing seemed to fit. She had given gifts to guys before, Nate loved his Lacrosse things, Lord Marcus from before loved his un-lord like gifts, Carter Baizen loved his money and Chuck loved sex. But none of these Upper East Side gifts seemed to fit Brooklyn Dan at all. Although he did bought her a Harry Winston Diamond Ring just to cheer her up, maybe he might like the finer things too. But no, Blair did not think a $1000 suit will make up for what he had done for her, which was talking to her sense.

Dorota peeks from behind, wondering what she is thinking, because yesterday Blair decided to visit Urban Outfitters, out of all places. The day before, she scrolled down a few restaurants in Brooklyn and had it marked. Not to mention she also had a few strange conversations with Serena.

"_Serena, you dated that Richard guy before right? He's from Brooklyn?" Blair asked and Serena raised her brows._

"_Yeah. And you hate him with passion for that."_

"_Because he's a dick and you know it," Blair said sternly. "Anyway, my question is, have you brought anything, you know like gifts, for him?" _

_Serena looked at her best friend, trying to see where she is going with her questions. She had an idea but she doesn't want to push it. "No. As you said, he's a dick and I found out after 2 weeks." Serena thinks and decided to push slowly. "Well, I guess you were right, something is wrong when someone is from Brooklyn."_

"_I never said that," Blair said, a little too quickly and Serena tried to prevent herself from smiling. Blair frowned and abruptly left the room without saying anything else._

_Serena looked at Dorota and smiled, "Isn't that cute?"_

Dorota did not get Serena's meanings because even if Serena is Blair's best friend her whole life, Dorota is a mother towards Blair, and she knew Blair is not okay until she feed the ducks. Yes, Blair Waldorf's signal of moving on from a guy is when she feed the ducks. It's been almost 2 weeks since Blair and Chuck's separation but Blair still haven't feed the ducks. And now she is looking at Brooklyn Bridge. Dorota had a horrified thought.

"Miss Blair! Please do not ever think about killing yourself!" Dorota yelled. Blair looked at her maid, frowning.

"What are you talking about Dorota?"

"You never even took a glance on that bridge and you haven't feed the ducks. I'm afraid you'll enter suicidal mode!" Dorota have had every concern on her face. Blair laughs at that. With that, Dorota is slightly relieved because Blair hadn't laughed like that for a long time.

"Dorota, I won't kill myself nor will I go down on such a shameful way to let myself die by jumping off Brooklyn Bridge," Blair continued to look back at the same bridge that she never crossed before. Not that it matter but she might almost consider him her friend now that she might actually cross it much more occasionally. The restaurant called Veselka doesn't really look bad. "Do you have the list with you?"

"Yes," Dorota is confused about the list. It is a regular list of gifts for guys but she crossed almost the entire list. "Who is this Dan Humphrey miss Blair?"

"Just an annoying guy whose father is about to marry Lily," Blair is still looking at the list. Dorota kept staring at her.

"And why do you need to thank him?"

"He helped me with W," Blair said, crossing another item on the list. Before Dorota is able to ask another question, Blair started walking. "Chop chop Dorota! We need to find a vintage store."

"A vintage store?" Dorota fastened her pace to catch up. "What are we doing in a vintage store?"

"Just looking around," in fact, this is the first time Blair had no idea at all on giving a gift. She was always good at that. But Dan Humphrey is from Brooklyn, so in Blair's mind, she had to lower her Upper East Side ground a bit to find a Brooklyn guy a gift, which sucks for her.

She enters a Vintage Store, smelling like old wood and varnish, dusty even if there are no dust, and dimmed (maybe to show how vintage it is). Blair scrunched her nose looking around. Even if she loved the grand old Hollywood, there is nothing grand to her about a vintage store. She looks at an old wooden clock, it looked ancient and kind of brewing some Titanic vibe. She took a good look at it and her frown disappeared. Maybe a vintage store isn't that bad.

"Can I help you young lady?" an early 40's woman came by and smiled. Blair had to stop herself from scrutinizing everything that she wears, which is too much, too colorful, too tacky and too hippie. The only thing Blair appreciated was the genuine smile.

"Yes, I am… um…" Blair looked back and she sees Dorota waiting for her outside. Coast is clear from 1000 more Dorota questions. "I am looking something for my friend. You see he bought me a new wedding band yesterday, totally not for a real wedding though, we're not really married, it's just a simple scheme, but he did help me," Blair shows her diamond Harry Winston and the woman have a 'Wow' reaction to all the information Blair throws at her. "I wanted to give something back and I thought something vintage would be nice. Do you have anything?"

"Well, first, what kind of stuff is he into?"

"Oh um…" she is searching in her memory for some clues. She has none. So she blurts out the first thing in her mind. "He's a writer."

The woman smiles at her. "Can you wait here?"

5 minutes later, everything an ancient writer had wanted was in front of Blair. The 30's typewriter, the old ink with feather pen, and even some ancient scrolls. Blair denied all that. Dan Humphrey may be Brooklyn but he's not 100 years old. Blair stands in front of the exit, sighing.

"Miss Blair, did you find them?"

"No. You know what it's really great that the one that decides to help you when you are suffocating in the Chuck Bass misery had to be from Brooklyn. Because now I'm suffocated finding that guy a thank you gift!" Blair finally lets it out. Dorota's eyes bulged at the statement. "What is that face for?"

"You are over Mr. Chuck?" she asks, carefully.

"Not thoroughly but I'm hanging on pretty good," Blair sighs and started walking, to see if anything on the road would make a spectacular Dan Humphrey Gift.

"But you haven't feed the ducks," Dorota follows behind.

"I feed the ducks when I'm miserable and in pain Dorota," Blair starts her power walk because Dorota's question was annoying her.

"Aren't you in misery and pain now?" Dorota follows from behind.

"No, why would I be?"

"Because you just broke up with Mr. Chuck," this statement jolts Blair off her power walk into a stop.

"Chuck does not dictate my life," Blair looked right at Dorota. "He did once but I'm never letting that happen again. I loved him Dorota. But that's the problem and feeding ducks is not really a way to get over Chuck Bass. I'm going on a different route now."

"Getting a gift for Dan Humphrey is?" Dorota is even more confused.

"Maybe. It's a start," Blair smiles. Dorota frowns.

"OMG," Dorota almost whispers. Now it is Blair's turn to frown. "You and Dan Humphrey are having an affair."

"What the? No! Ew!" Blair denies, firmly. "Dorota, I may broke up with one of the most eligible bachelor in the Upper East Side that having him falling in love with me is like one step ahead of Kate Middleton getting Prince William, but no, I do not set my standards as low as having an affair with Dan Humphrey."

With that, she abruptly left and Dorota dare not to say anymore words.

* * *

><p>"So, how's your wife?" Peter asks Dan, grinning widely. Dan could only roll his eyes. "Aww come on Dan, you never told me you're married!"<p>

"Pete, you're supposed to be my boss, not an annoying boss," Dan says while exiting his cubicle to get some coffee.

"I'm your boss but you're a sellout employee. Stefano Tonchi called himself telling me he will be having you work on some column in W while you're still here working for me. Other people need jobs too Daniel."

"You can fire me now if you want," Dan swiftly went back to his cubicle, drinking his coffee.

"Wow, such a hot shot writer you are now eh," Peter smacks Dan's arm. "But no. You happen to be one of my best writer and people love your shit. I'm going to wait until I receive Lily Van Der Woodsen's dollar in my bill before I fire you."

"It's pretty scary when you have dollar bills in your eyes you know," Dan snorts. "But ironically I can have you my boss fired about right now because Lily prefers me, also known as the future stepson me than a boss in some newspaper department. So we can fire each other off."

"Fuck, I forgot that it was your dad marrying that rich woman," Peter smiled, surrendering. "So what was that whole quoting Stefano by the way, 'His wife is a very feisty and memorable woman' about?"

"He told you that?" Dan wants to smack his head now for being an idiot following Blair Waldorf's lead.

"Not only that, he also said you were a very interesting couple," and now he wants Blair's head on a platter.

"Can I just leave that as personal things I really don't want to talk about?" Dan really didn't.

"No, I'm your boss and you lied to a friend of mine," Peter has rooted his decision deep.

"Shit," Dan curses. "Alright. There is this girl, okay, Blair Waldorf, she's an Upper East Side girl, and she's really persuasive."

"So you end up marrying her?"

"No. I, uh, I ended up pretending I was married to her," Dan did not know what sounded weirder, his explanations or why he did it.

"How did you end up pretending you were married to her?" Peter have this look where it shows how ridiculous Dan is.

"She needs to talk to Stefano, but Eperly who is his assistant won't oblige. Since I kind of leap over Eperly because all her reasoning for the column is stupid, Blair proposed that she pretends to be my wife so she could leap over Eperly too," it's official, Dan has lost his mentality.

Peter laughs. "I have never heard such a ridiculous thing in my humorous life!" and he continues to laugh. He has to stop to ask, "Why did you even oblige?"

"I told you, she's very persuasive," Dan says as a matter of fact.

"Is your wife hot?"

"What kind of question is that, boss?" Dan emphasizes on the boss.

"Just a question," Peter smiles.

"Google her. Her mom is this big designer I think," Dan recycled his old conversations with Blair. "Pete, don't tell Stefano about this okay. I mean I don't really need the job but I need the good impressions."

"Sure, sure. Stefano is a good boss, which means he doesn't reign to know about his employee's detailed life," Peter pushes himself out of Dan's cubicle.

"Not like you," Dan smirks.

"Hey, I can tell all these to Stefano and fire you at the same time," Peter playfully warns.

"You wouldn't do that; I'm the best you got."

"Oh I forgot!" Peter runs back to Dan's cubicle. "W will have this big launch party for next month's issue this weekend. You know about that right? I'm sure you have your invitations already."

"Yeah. So?"

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey will be invited, both of the couples," with that, horror struck Dan. "Yeah, good luck with that."

* * *

><p>Serena sat in Chuck's apartment for almost 2 hours, waiting for him to sober up from his drunken state last night. She is worried, even if Chuck is only her step brother, she had known him all her life and she knew how Chuck loved Blair. Blair seemed to be better now for reasons she find very fascinating, and she needs Chuck to be better too.<p>

She hears the door opens and Chuck, haggard from head to toe, looking worse.

"Chuck," she simply says.

"Nate sent you here?" Chuck walks past Serena to the bar. Then he saw that his vodka was gone. "Where is my vodka?"

"I had them hidden because you need to sober up to have this conversation with me," Serena says pulling Chuck to sit beside her but he will not obey.

"There is nothing to say."

"Yes there is Chuck," Serena sighs. "What happened with Blair?"

Chuck sneers. "Why don't you ask Dan Humphrey?"

"Chuck, Dan and Blair just met. They met after you guys fought with each other," Serena explains.

"And how would you know that? Were you there when the two lovebirds meet?" Chuck scans the room to find his vodka.

"I was actually. Dan met Blair for the first time at my mom's penthouse," Serena tries to stay in an eye contact with Chuck, which her statement helps. Chuck is looking back at her now.

"What so you just brought up this guy out of nowhere to set them up?"

"No, Chuck. Dan's father is going to marry my mom. We had dinner as a family and I brought Blair with me since she was so upset about you its unhealthy."

"His father is marrying Lily?" Chuck asks. "So he's like me 2.0."

"No Chuck, he's not. Even if he had problems with his own father, I'm positive he doesn't resent him like you resented Bart," Serena put it bare. "Now what happened with Blair?"

"Nothing of your concern," Chuck pushes Serena on the sofa and got his vodka she hid behind the cushions. "You're very predictable Serena as always."

* * *

><p>Blair got him a gift, finally. Even if she was not sure about the gift, she finally got it. It was a sense of Dan Humphrey but not at all Brooklyn, what she was sure it was definitely different that all the other gifts she had given to guys before. She looks at her phone, at his name, wondering what should she say when she calls him. <em>Why am I so nervous jeez! <em>She is still staring at his name, wondering if it is the right thing to do.

Suddenly, her phone flashes his name, an incoming call. "What the?" now she's thinking whether or not she should answer, and she thinks long enough until the incoming stopped. She sighs, confused whether it was of relief or hating her stubbornness. But her phone flashes his name again, and this time, she answers.

"Yes Humphrey?" she acts casually.

"Wife I need you this weekend," Dan throwing it without a hello.

"Excuse me?" she really did not appreciate him calling her as 'wife', even if she indicated the scheme.

"W has a launch party this weekend and I just got my invite," Dan makes a face looking at the invite before he reads: "to Mr. and Mrs. Humphrey."

"Oh, a party? Why didn't you say that earlier?" Blair perks up.

"You are relaxed?"

"Of course I am. It is just a party Humphrey. We show up, smile and because of our scheme, one drink and we leave," Blair plans it all, like she always did. "It is only several minutes of horrid time Humphrey, we'll get over it."

"There is also this other slightly irritating thing," Dan held his temple. "Lily is invited, which means so is my dad. Oh guess what, Serena is also going. From what I see, even Blair Waldorf is on the name list."

"What?" Blair almost drops her jaw. "This is just a W party, it is no social event."

"Well apparently this month they had made it a social event, Waldorf," Dan's jaw tightens.

"Okay, just stay calm. I'll think of something," Blair stands up, walking around her room.

"I came up with something," Dan suggests. "You be completely absent."

"What? Why me? Why not you?"

"Because I am the new writer, I'm like important," Dan says lazily.

"It's really nauseating me that you can actually be so arrogant," Blair shot him.

"I try."

"Okay, I am still going to the W party," Blair is not giving up. "We'll just have to manage."

"How?"

"You just started in W so not everyone there knows that you are married or what your wife looks like, the ones that do know are only Eperly and Stefano. So we go there together, just in case we ran into Eperly and Stefano earlier, have some drinks and small conversations with him, I researched him before and usually in the first hour he only talks to his peers. We go back to ourselves if we have to mingle with the ones we do know but let's just get out of there before someone recognizes us after Stefano had seen our mugs. At times in cases if they are in the same room with Stefano, we should improvise as if we have a call or something to have one of us rush outside or to the bathroom."

"It is scary you can scheme less than a minute," Dan teases.

"I try," she repeats his arrogant tone from before.

"Whatever you say, Waldorf," Dan sighs. "Pick you up at 7?"

"With what?"

"Don't insult me Waldorf, I have bought you that insane ring, so at least have the power to respect my Brooklyn dignity," Dan says. Silence interrupts them. Blair waits for him to say something more. "I'll take a cab."

With that Blair laughs like a 5 year old. Dan smiles at this. Before Blair was really down because she just had a big split. To hear her laugh now sounds like music in his ears, for some reasons he really was scared to admit.

"I'll see you at 7 then this weekend," Blair says, realizing that will be the best opportunity to give him the gift.

"It's a date," and both hangs up, freezes on what one of them said.

On Dan's side, he wanted to beat himself to death for saying that.

On Blair's side, she wanted to kill the butterflies in her stomach after hearing that.

* * *

><p>Dan looked around Gucci and sighs. Jenny had dragged him here as she said, "Dan, this is a big event. You don't wear the same suit that you wear to funerals." That is an exaggeration of course but Dan had never had more than 3 suits in his closet, he never feel like he needed it.<p>

"This one looks dashing!" Jenny holds up a suit towards her brother.

"It looks like the one I have back home," Dan could never tell the difference.

"No Daniel, this one is midnight blue, see."

"What is the difference?"

"It is midnight blue and you should try it on, pronto!" Jenny pushes her brother into the fitting room. Dan obliged because it is Jenny, his sister who had tried to change his fashion issues all her life. He even believes that when Jenny was born, she could point out how hideous Dan's shirt is.

Jenny looked around to find some other things for Dan, because he couldn't find even a suitable tie for an interview. It was then she bumps into none other, The Golden Boy, Nate Archibald.

"Oh hey, sorry didn't see you there," Nate apologizes. He realizes who it is. "Jenny?"

"Nate!" of course everyone knows who Nate Archibald is (scratch that, Dan might not). He is the prince of the Upper East Side, every girl wanted him. The Queen B once had him. He has the Abercrombie look that all men should be jealous. Jenny tries to cover her blush; she always had a crush on him, since high school. Even now when it is clear to everyone that Nate Archibald is Serena Van Der Woodsen's territory, he is still on everyone's list.

"What are you doing here?" Jenny asks, still trying to cover her blush.

"I'm looking for a new suit for the new exhibition my dad is running," Nate says holding a couple of very nice suits. Jenny's heart melts, a guy who knows fashion, and she's stuck with two men who doesn't have any clues. "You?"

"I'm with Dan," she says.

"Oh, the famous Dan Humphrey?" Nate says. Since Lily announced her engagement to Rufus, all Serena could talk about was his missing son that even he was curious.

"Yeap," Jenny finds everything ironic. Before, Dan was a nobody, or she should say he works hard to be a nobody. Now even Nate is talking about him.

"Jenny, seriously I like this one enough so let's go," Dan comes out of the fitting room and stopped when he sees Nate. Nate is a stranger to Dan and vice versa. "Hey?"

"Hey, you must be Dan," Nate held his hand. "I'm Nate Archibald."

"Yeah," Dan shakes his hand, wondering how the guy knew him. "You are a friend of Jenny's?"

"He's with Serena," Jenny quickly says, she doesn't know why.

"Well, I am also friends with Jenny I suppose but yes, I'm with Serena. And she spoke a lot about you since your parent's engagement," Nate laughs at this. "I also know that you punched a certain Chuck Bass?"

Jenny's eyes bulge. "You punched Chuck Bass?"

"Not intentionally," Dan explains. "He was about to punch me but I like to think my reflexes are fast enough to punch him first. Um so you know Chuck Bass?"

"Dan, Chuck is Nate's best friend," Jenny could not believe how oblivious Dan is sometimes.

"Oh really," Dan started to get nervous. "You're not here to kill me or anything are you?"

Nate laughs. "No, don't worry, I'm not that vicious. In fact I'm glad you did because even if Chuck is my best friend, so is Blair and I hate to see Blair being hurt like that."

"You know what he did to her?" Dan asks, genuinely curious.

"No, actually. But whatever it is, my guts tell me that Chuck deserved a black eye," Nate says because he had never seen Blair so sad before. "Be careful though, Chuck is really pissed with particularly any guy who is seen with Blair now and um, he actually told me he's going to kill you." Nate laughs at this.

"You know if someone wants to kill you it's not really a laughing matter," Dan says, not really sure if she should feel threatened to Chuck.

"Well, Chuck was drunk and even if Chuck plays the evil one around us, I doubt he'd kill someone," Nate assures him. "I'm glad you're there for Blair. Serena told me about the hot dog incident."

"Yeah, that was a weird thing," Dan chuckles. "But I'm pretty sure others can make her do it too."

No they can't Dan, no they can't.

* * *

><p>"This is not a date," Blair told herself for the hundredth times. "Definitely not a date."<p>

Weekend comes and Blair suddenly freaks out. She have her dress, she had her make up perfectly done, shoes are guaranteed not to break, jewelries in control and ring on her finger. Yes, everything is according to plan, but she feels so nervous because Dan had said the word 'date' and no they are not dating, they are pretending to be married. It sounds weird even in her thoughts.

"Miss Blair, you don't look good," Dorota looks at the pale young woman.

"I'm fine, Dorota. Why are you still here? You're supposed to be off duty already," Blair halfway commanded.

"I'm worried about you, you haven't feed the ducks."

"Dorota, feeding ducks is so high school Blair. I'm more matured now so please, just go home," Blair sighs. She hears the elevator opens and there he is, Dan Humphrey, awkwardly looking around but mighty fine in his midnight blue suit. _Jenny got good taste. _He sees her and wears his cocky grin. It should annoy her but she finds it somewhat his charming way of saying hello. _Shut it Blair! This is not a date!_

"Hey," he simply greets. "Ready to go?" Dorota stares at the new guy and saw how Blair suddenly seems so serene and calm and nervous at the same time. She remembers Serena's 'cute' statement. This is what she meant. The appearance of the guy that could make the girl feels every emotion all at once, and the breath that the guy takes when he sees the beauty in front of her.

Cute.

"Seriously Humphrey, you are late. We said 7," Blair starts, and the cute part suddenly melts away in Dorota's eyes.

"Yes, and I was here at 7. I didn't know the elevator takes 5 minutes to go up," Dan retorts back, the cute part is definitely diminishing. "Which is why it will also take you 5 minutes to go down, I don't get why I have to get up here?"

"Because I always forget Jenny Humphrey is your sister and I was making sure you wouldn't show up in jeans and hoodies. My father has a collective suits here, I'm sure one would fit you alright if Jenny decided to bail on you," this statement had Dorota's jaws drop. Blair never let any man touch her father's suits because it stays as Harold's suits. Cute is emerging. "I'm glad you have a stylist sister. You actually clean up good," the cute part is showing again. "But you still have a bad hair." And it is gone again.

"Well, I would say you look good but I really can't look past your dangerous paws," now the cute part is nowhere to be seen.

"If I shove plaid in your eyes, maybe you wouldn't be so blinded towards fashion, or maybe you would go blinder."

And so the bickering set off until Dorota saw them disappear behind the elevator. She decided, maybe Blair is okay, because even if that cute moment was so short, it was still there. Dorota smiles, Blair is finally okay,

"So we've gone through all this okay. You proposed to me when we were in Paris on top of the Eiffel Tower…" Blair and Dan got into the cab and now they are creating the enigmatic stories of their fake love.

"Isn't that like cliché? I mean there are like so many people who did that," Dan cuts her. "How about none of the getting down on one knee, or ring in champagne? Let's do something new."

"There is nothing more romantic than proposing on an Eiffel Tower!"

"There is nothing more romantic than doing something very new."

"Like?" Blair folds her hands on her lap.

"Well, how about, you plan me a surprise graduation party and suddenly it was me who surprised you with a ring in front of friends and family?" Dan says without hesitant until he realizes what exactly he was saying. He tears his eyes away from Blair, looking straight up front. "Sorry, that was…"

"Your real plans before with Vanessa," she finishes his lines.

"Yeah."

Silence rushes through them. Blair looks up to Dan and sees that he wasn't himself. He is staring out to the city lights and she knew he is actually looking for Vanessa.

"You know what," Blair starts, grabbing his attention. "If I were Vanessa, I would definitely say yes to something like that."

Dan smiles at this, "Thanks."

"So, we'll go with Paris."

"Nope."

"Come on, it's not even a real marriage proposal. What difference does it make?" Blair looks at him.

"The fact that it's cheesy and I'm kind of allergic to things like that. It is so… girly," Dan is kind of surprised he is very blunt with Blair.

"Oh my God, you're like 10 years old," Blair can't believe this. "So your description of a romantic proposal, other than that one before, is what? Driving a truck and have like LL Cool J 'Hey babe we should do this'?"

"It's really funny and weird that you know who LL Cool J is," Dan mocks. "No, I have my own idea, but I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because you're not exactly the one the idea is aimed for."

* * *

><p>Chuck looks at his watch before he stares back at the people around him. He had himself invited to the W party because he heard Blair is attending. He looks around to search for her, but she is still missing. He looks at the entrance and sees Serena and Nate walking in. He shrugs and tries to hide away but it was too late, Nate caught him.<p>

"Chuck I didn't know you were invited," Nate approached. Serena has her eyes on him.

"I invited myself thank you, Chuck Bass can invite himself anywhere in this city. I own this city," Chuck drags another of his favorite vodka in hand.

"What the booze in your apartment wasn't enough to satisfy?" Serena shot him, receiving a nudge from Nate.

"I'm looking for Blair," Chuck simply says.

"Well, she's not looking for you," Serena suddenly felt the urge to call security to escort him out.

"Archibald, Van Der Woodsen, both of you should know that this little mistake we had its not going to affect us. We are inevitable, we belong with each other," Chuck smirks.

"What little mistake have you done that Blair decides to lock herself up in her room, that made her cry every night, and had even almost made her bulimic again?" Serena held Nate's hand tightly, afraid that when she lets go she might storm after to kill Chuck, because Blair had already gone way pass bulimic. For her to enter that territory again caused anger and sadness in Serena.

"You know I love her," Chuck could only say.

"My question wasn't 'Do you love her' but 'How do you love her'," Serena said, before finally pulling Nate to get a punch. Nate could only tap Chuck's shoulder, because in a way, he too was angry about Blair.

Chuck is alone. Everyone keeps leaving him, even Blair. "No, Blair is not leaving me," Chuck tries to confirm this to himself, but that same minute, Blair came in, arms around another man. He almost wants to go in rage but then it fled when he saw it was only Stefano Tonchi she was with. Blair had always looked up to these types of people, so it didn't surprise him that she had the editor in chief as her date tonight. Chuck goes back to the bar, silently waiting for the right moment to approach Blair, or maybe waiting for her to approach him.

By then, Dan Humphrey stepped in, rather surprised by how smoothly Blair schemed. It is true that they had met Stefano outside, and Stefano only had praises for Dan having such a wife. Blair played along and even had herself escort him inside while she makes a story that Dan had a call to make so that no one they know sees them entering together. It was a simple scheme, but the way she never even blinked scared and maybe even fascinated Dan.

"Dan!" he heard him, yes he did. He didn't want to turn around because as always he is afraid he might lose himself, but he looked back, forced a smile to his father. "Jenny was not kidding when she said you work in W now."

"It's just a monthly column, I'm still in The New York Post Marital Column," Dan says, appreciated that his father tried. The tension is clear, but Rufus seemed to be fine at least talking to him for a second. But then Vanessa came in mind, and he had to run. "I need to go. I'm still new so I need to mingle, says my new boss."

"Yes sure."

Dan looked around and saw Blair smiling and laughing with Stefano and his peers. As if on cue, Stefano called Dan to join them.

"My newest employee, Daniel Humphrey, he writes in the new column we've been talking about," Stefano introduced him. "And this lovely young lady I just stole him from is his wife."

"I know, why I would marry a boring writer," Blair jokes and everyone laughs, even Dan. It is weird to see Blair so carefree because before she was so stuck in this Perfect Snob Act. "But he's a keeper of course, that is why I proposed to him."

Dan shot a look at Blair, "Proposed to me?" He is genuinely confused.

"Yes, honey. I did. You see, we've been together not really that long but then one day I somehow had this epiphany that I should marry him, and there I was proposing to him to be my husband," Blair says it as if it was the most epic love story ever. It is not cliché, it is new, and definitely not entirely a lie as well. She was basically telling the truth but the inner concept of it is further for interpretation.

"But I bought the rings, the one that girls like. Seems like the 'no bands' for marriage is really bullshit," Dan managed to play along. "I even had dear wife here eating hot dogs for the first time."

"Humphrey that is so unromantic!" Blair slaps him on the arm.

"But its new and rather exciting too," Dan smiles.

"Look at you two," one woman in their circle speaks. "Such a wonderful couple."

It actually feels more awkward than before now that someone mentioned that. Blair forced a smile and Dan felt like he should put a rope around his neck. He's drowning in the life of Blair Waldorf.

"Will you excuse us," Dan politely asks and pulls Blair's hand with him. When Stefano and his peers are out of sight, Dan quickly drops her hand and faces her. "Wow, I never knew you are such a smooth talker."

"I told you, getting on one knee in Paris is much better," Blair says and he just shrugs it off. "So, we're free of Stefano. We should leave now before someone we know actually…"

"Blair?" she hears someone calling her from behind. It is Serena.

"Sees us," Blair finishes her words and smiled brightly for Serena. "Serena!"

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at home doing some school work. Dorota said you declined the party," and then Serena sees Dan and acknowledged him. "Were you here with Dan?"

"No, no absolutely not," Dan stutters while Blair says, "Are you kidding why would I?"

"No it just that seems you got along well enough," Serena sparks.

"I um, I need to go. My boss is like right there," Dan walks away. "Bye."

Serena places a grin on her face. "Whatever is up there S, it's not true."

"Blair, he is single and smart and a fantastic writer. He's very handsome too. I wouldn't put you in the exception of girls that finds him attractive."

"If I just knew you, I think you're the one who is attracted to him," Blair did not know why that bothers her a bit.

"Well if you just knew me you should know he is going to be my brother, so it will be a bit incestuous like that."

* * *

><p>Dan is out in the balcony getting some fresh air. He was about to ran off from the party when Eperly said he had to stay until the party is over since they have some important people they want him to meet. He thinks that these scheming with Waldorf are insane. He needs all the air he could get before getting back in.<p>

"Dan?" he looks back and sees it is Nate from before. He vaguely remembered him, except the fact that he's really popular in St. Judes and that he had a man bang once. "Hey, I didn't know you're invited."

"Yeah, yeah. Well, I kind of work with W now," he nods.

"That is cool," Nate speaks. "Did you bring a date?" This catches Dan in silence.

"Um, no. As you can see I usually fly solo," he laughs. "I figure you are here with Serena."

"Yeah, but I need a little fresh air, you see," Nate looks around and sees that it is only them. "Hey do you mind if I smoke?"

Dan stares at him. "No not at all."

Nate pulls out a cigarette and lighted one. When he inhales, it is as if his burdens are gone. "I'd appreciate it if you keep this a secret."

"I take that Serena doesn't know you smoke."

"No she does. Her father who is a doctor, doesn't though and if he knew, he will grind me into dust, and he is already in there making speeches about his doctoral savings," Nate inhaled. "We never agree on anything."

"Serena's father is here?" Dan receives a nod. "Wow, must be weird for Lily to have him around then."

"Why would you say that?"

"I uh, I did researches on Lily when I got the job to write about her marriage to my dad, and most tabs were on how Lily and William Van Der Woodsen are like Sid and Nancy," Dan turns to look over the city of Manhattan.

"Well, that really took a toll on Serena and Eric once. But they decide that maybe divorces are the best for some Upper East Side marriages," Nate inhaled again, smiling as it reminded him of his own parents.

"Not just for Upper East Side marriages trust me," Dan laughs reminded him of his.

"You know what, if we have met back in high school before, I think we could be really great friends," Nate smiles genuinely. He sees bits and pieces of Dan's personality and he likes what he sees.

"I doubt it," Dan shakes his head.

"Why?"

"Because back then I was really naïve and hated all trust fund kids," he admits. Nate laughs at this. "Yet maybe, if I had known you weren't so bad," Dan looks back inside and sees Blair talking animatedly to Serena. "I would definitely want to know you guys more."

* * *

><p>Chuck is scanning around the party as he had discovered that Blair was talking to Dan Humphrey too close to his own nerves. He wanted to just rush to him and kill him, but Lily had ordered (yes ordered) him not to make any problems. But if the problem is subtle Lily could still save face. He looks around and sees Lily beside Rufus Humphrey. He chuckles. "How in the hell Lily could marry such a man?" He scans the room again and sees his weapon. He straightens up and leaves the bar.<p>

"William," he nods while the older man nods back at him. They never really quite liked each other. "I see you're still tailing on Lily."

"I am not tailing on Lily, Charles. I am also invited."

"Why would a doctor be invited to a party by W magazine?"

"I'm from the Upper East Side too if you had forgotten that," William is about to walk away but Chuck stops him.

"No, but it is Lily who reigns Queen. You just lent a more fabulous last name than Rhodes to her which she is dumping for a common Humphrey," Chuck saves a grin. He can see nerves coming into the older man. "I know you want her back. I can see that when she decided to marry my father before and you put up an awful information that my father was a drug addict by rendering a false prescription to Lily."

"That was before Charles, and she forgave me for that. Even the late Bart Bass forgave me."

"I'm not here to annoy you William. I'm just here to give you some tools on how to actually remove the other man," Chuck smiles when he sees the interest in William's eyes. "According to what Lily said, Rufus Humphrey is not like my father, he's a real father towards his children and he even knew Lily before you showed up. But then from what I see, their children is a pretty good target right?"

With that, Chuck leaves with a scheme to ruin a newly developed family.

* * *

><p>"So have you decided where do you want to go after you graduated?" Serena plops a fruit in her mouth. Blair smiles at this. She loves future planning.<p>

"W," she says the one alphabet. "Stefano Tonchi is really an inspiration and I could use some of my dictating there since the last time I went there, the assistant was just a less version of me."

"Wow, I'm impressed," Serena is glad that Blair comes back to her cheerful side. "Speaking of impressive. Dan gra…"

"Seriously Serena on this whole conversation you have been putting him in every topic," Blair sighs heavily. Not that she did not appreciate that Dan was a soccer player in Dartmouth, or that he writes for the New York Times once, or that he actually knew what Nenette was, but she did appreciate that her heart fluttered a bit knowing all this.

"I'm just saying that he graduated a year early because he's like this literary genius or something," Serena is onto something. She sees how Dan and Blair can be cute, and she is almost positive that they came to the party together. She needs to pull everything out from Blair.

"And he works as a writer in a marital column in the local newspaper," Blair will not admit that Dan is pretty damn good writer himself.

"He works for W too now. That should say something," Serena observes Blair.

"That says he needs a new wardrobe because his old ones doesn't really scream W magazine writer," Blair is tired of all Dan Humphrey. She sees Nate walking in and decides to attract Serena with her boy. "And Nate is here. Let's go get him." She regrets doing it after she sees that Dan is with him, all in his mighty midnight blue suit.

"Serena, I was looking for you," Nate lied and kissed Serena lightly.

"No you weren't. You smell like smoke," Serena smiles. Dan chuckles a bit while Blair scrunches her nose. "We have to go now. Are you going to okay with Dan here?" Serena asks Blair.

"Sure if he decides to leave now," Blair talks in subtle code which means they can freely leave now. Dan catches that.

"No. I have to stay. Stefano and Eperly needed me to the end of this party, I need to be here," Dan answers as in they need to act out as husband and wife once more.

"Fine, just stay 10 meters away."

"Fine."

"Okay, don't eat each other out okay both of you," Nate warns before he and Serena finally leaves.

"That went well," Blair says as a matter of fact. "Genius by the way in disappearing."

"Yeap," when what he did was only taking in some fresh air.

"Well, well, if it isn't Brooklyn's own plague? Seriously even if your father marries Lily, you aren't really suited to become something of hers," Chuck smiles briefly when he unkindly joined them.

"It is not at all what you think Bass," Blair stands on her ground, surprised that she didn't feel like falling off standing in front of him. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we're leaving." Blair pulls Dan with her when she automatically grabbed his hand.

"Mingling with someone his standard is low, Blair," and Dan had enough.

"Listen, man, what is your problem? I know she's with you before but she had made it very clear that it is over," Dan is up front to Chuck.

"My problem is that you can't seem to just go away from her," Chuck looks at Blair.

"The last time I checked only Blair gets to decide who comes near her, and apparently you're not on the list."

"Humphrey, let's just go okay," Blair pulls Dan again but Chuck also did and hits him below his eye, a spot he was bruised before. "Chuck, have you lost your mind!"

"You son of a bitch!" Dan is about to handle him all over again but Blair pulls him away.

"Dan! Stop!" Blair pleaded. She almost cried. "Let's just leave."

"Blair!" Chuck calls but she never looks back, when all she cared was Dan Humphrey's bruises in her mind.

* * *

><p>"Okay, seriously I'm fine. I should just go home now and… OW!" Dan shrieks when Blair puts some ointment on his bruised cheeks. They are in her penthouse in the living room. Blair insisted that he goes to the doctor, he passed, and then she insisted on fixing him herself.<p>

"Be still! Don't be such a girl Dan," Blair says, concentrating on fixing him. She hadn't noticed that she's an inch from Dan, which he can't seem to falter his stare at her.

"You seem to know what you're doing, surprisingly," Dan looks at her with the emergency kit.

"I wasn't a very still child when I'm young, I always see Dorota do this when I have wounds," she smiles on the memory.

"Good to know," he laughs and it hurt his cheeks. He stares at her again when she is completely focusing on his bruise. "You called me Dan by the way."

"What?"

"Yeah. Before too. Not that it is not okay, it is just weird to my ears," he chuckles.

"Don't flatter yourself so much Humphrey," Blair purposely put some pressure on his cheek, which he flinches.

"I'm not, Blair," he smiles when Blair looks at him as he says her first name. She looks back at his cheek, annoyed by his grin. Something had made him curious and he decides it is now or never to ask. "So what exactly happened between you and Chuck?"

"Do we have to talk about him?" she purposely looked away for a bit.

"Well, both of us had our throws in punching so I ought to know why I punched him a first," he remembers Nate's decision not to care that he had punched the best friend.

"How about because you just loathe him?"

"Yeah, that's good enough I guess," Dan decided that maybe it is better not to push Blair even if he is curious. Blair looks up to him when he looks away from her. She had noticed the stare he gave her but decides not to freak about it. She hasn't noticed that Dan has really high cheekbones and squared jaw. Serena was right, Dan is a handsome bloke.

But then what catches her isn't any of that, but the fact that she feels as if she could trust him with anything. He might judge her, there is always that chance but it feels as if Dan Humphrey would understand.

"Chuck and Blair are not really the usual couple you meet," Blair starts and she gives a small laugh. "We play games, we scheme away like it is out job, we manipulate and we happen to have a darker side that matched." Dan looks straight at her, seeing how it is not easy for her to open up. "We are inevitable I guess. But then one day, Chuck traded me for a hotel."

"What?"

"He did. He um, his uncle Jack was on his ass about the new hotel, and Chuck lost the hotel. Jack gave him an option," Blair stops, trying to not let her tears fall. "He says he would give Chuck back his hotel if he gives me. He told me that he would never do that at first, but he was suffering. So I decided that I sent myself to Jack. I went up there because I loved Chuck and I would do anything for him. Up there I realized he wasn't doing the same for me. Jack told me that Chuck had planned it all. He had from start given me to Jack, and he manipulated his own manipulative girlfriend into thinking that she did this all herself."

Dan was silent for a few seconds until the only thing he could say is her name. "Blair."

"But that wasn't the worst part," Blair has tears down her cheeks now. "The worst part is, I would do it in a second if he had asked me instead. I'm as bad as he is and I could never blame everything on him, because I am at fault too."

Silence rushes through as Dan is speechless. The brunette in front of him decides to tell her deepest darkest secrets and it shows her vulnerable side. All he could think of was to give Chuck another black eye because the girl who only knew how to love such a masochistic is blaming herself for nothing.

"It is not your fault," Dan speaks and Blair looks up at him. "It is definitely not your fault. All you did was loved him."

Blair laughs at this. "That's the problem don't you think?"

"It is never a problem to love someone," Dan says. "The problem is how he loves you back. Chuck loves you, but he didn't take care of you. All my life I only know, that love and care are in package, you can't just go with one."

Blair looks at his brown eyes, honest and genuine. Dan smiles, assuring her that she's never the problem. "Did Vanessa teach you that?"

"No. I take full credit for that," he laughs like a 10 year old, which is melodic to Blair's ears. "What do you always do after a break up?"

Blair thinks carefully, wondering if the truth would be embarrassing. "I uh, I feed the ducks."

"Weird," Dan says and gets a glare from the brunette. "Okay, have you feed the ducks yet?"

"I haven't," Blair looks at the hem of her skirt. "I thought before maybe because feeding ducks is so high school of me. But now maybe I should admit it is because I haven't really got to the real fact that it is really over. I am over him, but… you know, almost there or something."

"Yeap," Dan smirks. "You go do that when you are ready. Meanwhile…" Dan takes his phone in hand, starting to dial a number. "Why don't we have an after break up party, Humphrey style?"

"I rather not," Blair frowns.

"Too late," Dan held his phone to his ear.

Later that night.

"I can't believe I'm eating pizza," Blair looks down at the empty pizza box in front of her. "At least the movie is good."

"Yes. Breakfast at Tiffany's is really a good heart whelming after break up movie," Dan says sarcastically. He had yawned more than 20 times during the movie he laid on the fluffy carpet almost asleep.

"So this is what you do after a break up?" Blair asks, looking down at Dan beside her.

"Yeap. Does it work?" he looks up.

"Maybe. Audrey did all the work though," she smiles holding the Breakfast at Tiffany's DVD in her hand. Then she sees his gift on her desk. "You know, I actually bought you something." She stands up and grabs his gift. He stares as she hands him his gift.

"What for?" he takes the small box from her.

"For being a good friend," she smiles at him. "Also for buying me this really expensive ring."

Dan laughs, realizing that he is also wearing that ring. He opens up the small box, with Blair seemingly nervous. He takes what is in it, and discovers that it is a small sculpted chess pawn, made of wood, and surprisingly, it doesn't look as expensive as the ring.

"I went to this soul, magical store or something, and I found this thing. You gave me this band on my finger to cheer me up from Chuck, and now I give you that to help you get over one memory."

"Excuse me?" Dan is confused and Blair just laughs.

"I actually went to this store, kind of the magical soul searching thingy, and that pawn there is believed to release negative things out of you. Now I know you really want everything with your dad to be okay, but I also know that you never want to forget Vanessa. So I thought the problem was that you are too negative."

Dan mouths a 'what'.

"You kept remembering the accident that connects Vanessa to your dad. I thought this superficial pawn could be an aspirational symbol that you should replace that one memory. I'm sure you have plenty more of memories with both Vanessa and your dad, and maybe sometime, the only thing you'll remember is the good memories that connects Vanessa to your dad. Maybe by then, you'll be able to have your dad again."

Dan looks at Blair, smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem," Blair smiles back. "But if you utter a word of how I went to a soul searching store I am going to kill you."

"Of course," Dan puts the pawn back into the box. "But really, thanks." Now he knows exactly what 'it is the thought that counts' means.

Blair looks at Dan who is looking at the sculpted pawn, smiling like a child. "Dan," she starts. Dan looks at her. "Can you come with me to feed the ducks tomorrow?" She is almost sure he will say no since he just said that was weird a few minutes ago.

"Yeah, sure," by that, Blair Waldorf learned that Dan Humphrey cares.

**To Be Continued**

* * *

><p><strong>I really hope you liked that because I do! The sculpted pawn was actually a present I gave to my friend who got injured and could never play his favorite hockey anymore. It is very symbolic and some might say superstitious but again, it's a symbol of positivity and that you should fight even if you are at the lowest point.<strong>

**Next chapter spoiler – Carter Baizen**


	6. Blair Goes Brooklyn

**Animosity**

**Chapter 6 : Blair Goes Brooklyn**

Dan looks ahead at the lake, seeing the ducks everywhere. He looks back at Blair who is holding the loaf, feeding the ducks in front of her. It is a weird break up tradition but he guessed that his world is even weirder to her.

"Have you watched that Hugh Grant movie, 'About a Boy'?" Dan asks as he stands beside her.

"No. What about the boy?"

"Well, the younger one killed the duck with the loaf."

Blair looks at him sternly. "Is there any reason you are telling me such thing?"

"Not really. The environment suits," Dan grins at her, and Blair rolls her eyes, continuing to feed the ducks. Then he remembers something. "Oh yeah, check this out." He hands out his variety of keys and the pawn she had given him turned into a key chain.

"Humphrey, that was a symbolic gift and you turned it into a stupid key chain," Blair thought that is understandable, still, she wants to make a hell off him.

"Because it is a symbolic gift I'm not having it dusty on my shelves. In fact I'm carrying it wherever I go, and I always carry my keys wherever I go. Easier if it is packed into one solid carry on in your pockets," he grins slyly again and Blair looks back at the lake, a bit embarrassed that he had think highly of her gift that far.

"Well, is it working?" she asks, still looking at the lake.

"Not yet," Dan keeps his keys. "I'm trying harder now though."

"Good," in a way, Blair wants Dan to have a good relationship with his dad, but in a way, she also wants Dan to be over Vanessa for real. The latter she won't admit.

* * *

><p>"Daniel Jonah Humphrey, 24, Dartmouth graduate, and he writes for the New York Post in the marital column and has recently been hired by W mag to do their new column," a private detective works on the papers in front of him, filled with information on Dan, Jenny and Rufus. William looks on, unsatisfied look plasters his face. "You know, there is…"<p>

"Forget about the son. I've seen that boy and he had a great good boy kid aura so I'm sure it is not really relevant to check on him. Daughter," William points. "Experience with my own kids I think daughters are more likely to screw up around here."

"Well, Jennifer Humphrey is clean. I mean real clean. She goes to school, studies fashion, not even one curfew late."

"Perfect daughter, perfect son, I am sure we can use that to put Rufus Humphrey down," William stands and walks around his office. "What about their mom?"

"Allison Humphrey has been in Hudson since their divorce 7 years ago. No psychological records saying the kids had been traumatized by their divorce and seems like last thanksgiving showed that Allison and Rufus are pretty good in terms of divorced couple. Even Lily had met her."

"He's no Bart Bass," William snorts. "His son never smoked weed?"

"No," the detective looks on again. "But I don't know if this information would help, but during college years he had his internship under Noah Shapiro."

"Who is Noah Shapiro?"

"He is a writer. During that internship though it is a bit weird that Shapiro never submitted anything written by Daniel Humphrey to even a local newspaper. Shapiro always had student's submission around real editors, it is his way to make the students feel like a real writer. Turns out that anyone that deserves his internship are more than a decent writer for the literary world, which is hard to believe that this Daniel doesn't put through any submission," the detective explains.

"He worked for a marital column and W, a fashion mag. I'm sure he's just a decent enough writer and was lucky enough to get the internship from Shapiro," William says as a matter of fact.

"No, he is a pretty darned good writer. He got posted in the New Yorker before he enters college, and in Dartmouth, it is known that he is the top student in his major."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying maybe Dan Humphrey used an alias when his work is submitted. Most writers do that in college to experiment on new writing. Maybe his work could lead us something dirtier than smoking weed," the detective smirks now. "Is it relevant now to check on his son's work?"

"Yes, definitely."

* * *

><p>"Why am I in Brooklyn out of all places, Humphrey?" Blair asks as the cab just cross the Brooklyn Bridge.<p>

"Well, you did say you are free today and I thought you could accompany me to go through an interview for W," Dan says as he looks around, smiling that they are I his area now.

"An interview with who?"

"You, obviously," Dan laughs when Blair had this disbelieve written all over her face.

"Excuse me, what?"

"Well, the article is about the social update of life of the rich, i.e. Miss Blair Waldorf of the Upper East Side inside an unknown environment, i.e. Brooklyn of New York. Kind of Paris and Nicole's reality show minus the slutty and add up some classy," Dan says as he ushers the cab driver to pull over. He paid some cash before pulling Blair out of the cab with him.

"I never said I agree to this," Blair looks at him.

"You never did, but you followed me around, why is that?" Dan raises an eyebrow. "Where do you think we were going to go?"

"I thought maybe we were going to the W office again. I have my eyes on a position there so early survey would help," Blair says while looking around at the ghastly Brooklyn.

"I'm hurt. Blair Waldorf is using me," Dan pretends to cry and Blair hits him on the arm.

"Stop playing around Humphrey," she scolds. She looks around at the different environment. "Are you sure it is safe here?"

"Of course. I lived here since forever," Dan assures her.

"Well, you look like a poor man yourself so no one has an appetite to mug you."

"And the insults never went," Dan pulled Blair's hand when he walked into a building. It was old, rusty and dark, no one was in and it also looked like no one has ever been out. "Pretty creepy huh?"

"Humphrey, if this is your way to promote Brooklyn off my map, you're doing a great job," Blair says sarcastically, looking around at the deserted building.

"No, Waldorf, this is not what I'm showing you," Dan pulls her again towards the stairs and goes up. They are on the first floor when Blair notices the old ancient furniture around it. An old piano is sitting in the middle of the room, and Blair took the area as the main hall. "Pretty cool for a dying building."

"Where are you going with this? Seriously," Blair looks around. "This is trespassing."

"Okay, here you are," Dan took an old book and hands it to her. Blair looks on curiously. She looks at the book.

"Jane Eyre?"

"Yeap," Dan smiled. "And lots of this women literature going on here. We have Bronte Sisters, Austen and my personal favorite, Virginia Woolf."

Blair looks at him, curious at what his intention was.

"I know, why are we here, why are we looking around at these books by these women. You know this is a sanctuary for women's book club. The lady who lived here before was like this scorned widow leading a group of divorced wives' book club," Dan scans the books, covered with dust.

"Don't tell me you brought me to a dead woman's house," Blair is a step away to regret being a friend to Dan.

"No, actually she's married now to a quite charming decent man, also known as my boss, and yes, I got my permission from her so this is not trespassing," Dan grins at her. "She is so happy now she abandoned such sacred books here. "

"So what you want my help to rescue these books or something. FYI, that is stealing," Blair held away the Jane Eyre book back to Dan.

"No this is where my interview began. I brought you here more to the feel of it, you know, bring some mood in for the questions I have," Dan grins.

"You are ridiculous," Blair says and Dan ignores.

"That night when we were at W party, we've met many successful women. And they started without a man."

"Now that is when you are wrong," Blair cuts him and Dan questions her. "Before these women are who they are, they are girls, and girls have fathers and maybe even older brothers. I don't believe such facts that powerful woman deserves to be alone. In fact she deserves men more than those dependent wives."

Dan smiles before he continues. "You've given me very excellent answer already Miss Waldorf and I haven't even started asking."

Blair glares at him. "Before we continue can you please tell me where you going with this?"

"Well, I was a judgmental dick before so now I am turning it all around, trying to see it all from the larger scale. I've been around Lily much to know that there are more than the wives of Manhattan."

"I'm not even a wife, in reality anyway," Blair points out.

"Which is way more interesting because you haven't delved into it yet. I want to know, if there is a prince waiting for you on his white horse, and a W mag position waiting, which would you choose?"

"Well, you have to say which prince first because England has many married prince and I'm not really a fan of Prince William myself," Blair says as it is. "But why choose one when you can choose both? Reality is not a drama. If it is the right love you can choose to have both."

Dan smiles. "What if you have a child?"

"Well, my mother bore me and still worked as if there is no tomorrow," Blair remembers how her father had less work compared to Eleanor Waldorf.

"Then let me ask you this, you dated Chuck and he's a very successful man even if I don't approve. Anyway I'm saying, what if he is less than you," Dan asks and Blair frowns. Seems as if he was asking her whether he fits her bill. "Maybe a paperboy or someone." Blair rolls her eyes.

"Well, I have my standards. But being with Chuck made me realize, you can't choose the one you love. Love chooses you," Blair remembers how she had struggled with her feelings with Chuck initially. "But I still have my standards."

Dan chuckled and looks at the book in his hand. "You know, this will be good for you." Blair looks at the book and sees that it is the Breakfast at Tiffany's book. "You love the movie but I think you should know how the original came in."

"I've read it before just so you know," Blair did.

"I guessed that. But I think since your affections were more to Audrey Hepburn than the story itself, this is necessary for you to get Audrey off your head and feel what is a good story," Dan smiles genuinely and Blair still did not understand where he was going.

Blair sighs while scanning the book in her hand. "Is it okay to take this?"

"This is mine, I brought it with me this whole day," Dan stands up. "I meant to give it to you."

Dan Humphrey is confusing Blair Waldorf more and more now.

* * *

><p>"Nate?" Serena called when she looks around her apartment.<p>

"I'm in the study," Nate answers. Serena peeked in and sees her boyfriend looking around some papers. Nate is not really one to use the study room so this is definitely new.

"What are you doing?" Serena asks, looking down at Nate who is sitting on the floor.

"Just, some papers, you know," Nate answers hesitantly. Serena looked at the papers and her curiosity turns into thousands of questions.

"Nate, why are you looking at Carter Baizen's files?" Serena sits down so that Nate would look at her. "I thought you burned every bit of them."

"I know I should have done that but I didn't," Nate didn't dare to look at Serena but she forces him to. "Serena, he almost got you killed, and these papers showed what he did, if something else comes up…"

"He's gone Nate," Serena says firmly. "And you know it wasn't entirely his fault. I was also…"

"Why are you always defending him?" Nate's anger suddenly builds up. "Serena, you lost yourself out there, all thanks to Baizen. I almost lost you. Stop defending him."

"I'm not defending him Nate. It is the truth," Serena looks at the boy's eyes, sincere in every words she put in. "That was all in the past."

Nate sighs slowly and looks down. "I'm sorry. It is just that Gossip Girl had spotted Baizen coming back to New York. And I'm just preparing if he tries to even come close to you."

"Hey, don't worry," Serena smiles. "I'm always yours now, okay."

Nate smiles back, even if he had a hard time believing even that.

* * *

><p>"Now this is the best part," Dan grins and looked at his own building, his loft. "Now how would Blair Waldorf feel about a building such as this?"<p>

"One, it should be destroyed. Two, I think I just saw dirt sprinkling," Blair says without hesitant. Dan laughs. "I would like to see you live in a penthouse for a day and see if you want to come back here."

"I'm pretty sure where you live doesn't really measure the real comfort, I mean if your dearly beloved boyfriend lived in the gutter, you would prefer to be spooned in the gutter if the comfort is him," he smiles and she almost swear he was flirting. She shakes it off.

"Well, since you've shown me pretty much nothing interesting of Brooklyn, can we go to the W office now?" Blair pulls him and it really is weird for him that she seems to be very comfortable being handsy now.

"Hey, I just brought you here to have lunch, we are not going across the bridge now. I'm starving," Dan resisted.

"Where exactly is a hygienic diner located in Brooklyn?"

"My house."

And there they are in Dan's loft, Blair scrunching her nose on his taste, every bits of it. The rug, for heaven's sake it could kill Alexander Wang. She looks around and sees that despite the taste, the place was very neat for a boy, which made her think he had maybe tidy up everything for her. She laughs at that idea, no way.

Dan had been hoping to write on something for W based on Blair since he got the job. He didn't expect she would oblige to follow him when it is obvious as they were crossing the Brooklyn bridge doesn't mean that they are going to W, but she was still with him, even now. She could call her chauffer anytime, but she didn't.

"So, what do you want? Pasta, Chinese, or maybe some of my mom's favorite cooking?" Dan stands behind the counter, rolling his sleeves up.

"You cook?" Blair is more than astonished now. Serena said he had good grades, and now he cooks.

"Well, if you want to know, the Humphrey women can't really cook, so it really is up to my dad and I on the cooking," Dan opens the fridge. "Jenny only knows how to make orange juice and my mom really only knows to just sit and watch."

Blair looks around and sees a picture of Dan wrapping his arms around a very pretty girl with curly hair. She guessed that must be Vanessa. Her heart kind of hurt when she sees how perfect the look as a couple, how in love his eyes were in that picture. How perfect she looks with him. "Does Vanessa know how to cook?" she blurts out, and regrets it.

"She did," Dan hides how he's using the past tense. "I'm making some ravioli."

Blair sees how Dan suddenly makes himself busy with all the cooking and she feels a bit upset that maybe the pawn she gave him didn't really do much effect. She lets her purse lie on a chair and stands beside him. "Can I help?"

Dan laughs. "You don't seem like the type who cooks."

"Well, then be surprised Humphrey."

* * *

><p>Chuck strays around his apartment, finishing his work with the twins in the bedroom. He looks across the room, empty. He remembers how his father had put him alone in the apartment when he was 12 and never again he stays under one roof with his father. Not literally but it sure feels that way.<p>

"_Mr. Bass, I'm not sure you should leave Charles alone too much, he is just a child," _a worried new assistant said that and she was fired. Chuck remembers her, Dana, a new assistant in her late 30's, and she always said to him, _"You poor child. If you were mine I would definitely love you very much, as I'm sure your mother will if she's still alive."_

But Chuck's mother passed when she gave birth to him. That is why Chuck never received the love from his father, he killed the love of his life. All the love that Chuck ever had was a week from Dana and Blair's. He lost both.

But he refused to believe he lost Blair, because it is definitely not over.

His phone went off and he sees William Van Der Woodsen's name on the screen. "If you need my help, I'm willing to have you as a partner." Chuck smiles.

"_No, I actually did well enough on my own, thank you Charles," _William's voice chimed through the phone. _"I have everything I needed for my weapon. But I think you should come to my office, because I have something interesting to show you."_

"And that is?"

"_How Porter Collins tries to investigate on the great Bart Bass."_

* * *

><p>"I hate to say this, but this is really good," Blair finishes her raviolis and Dan pride himself for it. "If only the plates are better."<p>

"Can't you stop rejecting that I'm actually worth it as a human being," Dan says taking the plates into the dishwasher.

"Oh you're worth it as a human being. But you don't really excel as one, I'm just saying, you know, with your lack of taste in your loft," Blair pointed out. "You bought me a ring that could save yourself from a place like this, so I'm sure you can move out, or at least find decent furniture."

"I like this loft. It has many memories of me, Jenny, my dad and Vanessa," and there it was, he didn't cringe saying his dad's name with Vanessa. He sees how Blair just stares at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Blair smiles, trying to keep her composure.

Dan realizes that he likes Blair's company. It didn't make him dread his days like he always do. He likes seeing her judging his every existence and he likes how it is actually her way appreciating him. He likes her as a friend. When Blair looks around the loft again as she is about to critique another of Dan's belongings, Dan realizes something. He might like her more than a friend. He had taken her to Brooklyn not because for an interview, but he wanted her to see his side, his place. The interview for W was just an excuse because really he wasn't sure what he was feeling. He brought her to Peter's wife's women sanctuary because he wants her to feel she is a strong young woman. He gave her the Breakfast at Tiffany's book because it tells how one could love a girl so selflessly even if the ending is not exactly a happy ending.

Since Vanessa, he had never taken any girl seriously, but he realizes he wants to take Blair seriously. He had been making excuses before that Blair is everything he hated about the upper east side, when she seems to be everything he liked about in a girl. He swallowed his pride, and walks up to her.

"You know what Dan? I think we should run a serious apartment makeover. That painting needs to go," Blair turns around and sees how Dan is walking towards her, with a serious face. "What's wrong? Oh, come on don't tell me you are hurt."

"No, I'm not," Dan stops right near her. He can feel the tension between them, and Blair could only watch him with full curiosity. "Can I do something?" The nerve came to Blair.

"What?" she is sure she's trembling.

"Can I kiss you?" no man had asked her permission before. No man had given her the power to decide before. Dan Humphrey stands in front of her, pledging her permission for a kiss.

"I don't know."

He moves further, touching her hand. "That is not exactly an answer, Blair."

Blair tried to steady her heart, but he is so close her heart almost jumped out of her chest. Dan moves closer and Blair had to look away so she won't melt in his brown eyes. That is when she saw the same picture of Dan and Vanessa again. She was everything to him, and she meant everything to him. She seems to be the perfect match for him, the good girl, and seeing her history with Chuck, she is not at all Vanessa. She is not perfect for Dan, and he needs someone perfect, not broken like she is.

"Dan, no," she slowly pushes him away, looking down that she misses the hurt in his eyes. She didn't realize she had tears falling down her eyes before she utters the next words. "I'm not Vanessa. I saw how she's everything to you, she's perfect, you're happy with her." Dan is confused. He tries to capture her meaning. "I'm not Vanessa. I'm broken. I'm not perfect for you Dan."

Dan brushed her tears away with his fingers, slowly as if a slight pressure would hurt her. He cups her cheeks, resting to the sight that it fits. He slowly catches her eyes to look at him. And she did, watery doe eyes met his. She is at her most vulnerable now, not like in the hallway, not when she grabbed him for her dear life in Central Park, but now. She is opening her deepest feelings to him, and that honesty made her weak which makes him want to pull her stronger. Slowly but tenderly, he pulls her closer, until their foreheads touch. Blair did not dare to tear away because she wants this despite of what she had said. He pulls even closer until one second, their lips touch. One brush of kiss is the one he initiated before he utters, "I think you're perfect Blair."

Those words could have made Christmas to Blair. She is now the one who pulls him for another kiss. She feels all the warm heat from him when she throws her hand around his neck, deciding that she doesn't care she's kissing someone from Brooklyn, because her desires cope to her. She wants him. Dan pulls her closer when his hands left her cheeks and wrapped around her waist. Blair opens her mouth slightly and Dan's tongue met hers. Dan no longer feel the pain in his heart left by Vanessa, all he wants to feel now is the brunette in from of him, delving into her mouth.

It is a slow build up heat and now they aren't satisfied with that as Dan slowly pushed her down on the couch. Blair obliged and anticipated more. Dan kissed her again before he explores her neck, pepping hot kisses down to her collarbone. He could feel Blair pulling his shirt's buttons off one by one, and she could feel Dan's hand roaming on her thighs under her skirt. He kisses her cheeks, her eyes brushing off any tears that left, her nose and her lips, which she welcomed. She could feel Dan tugging the zipper of her skirt, and all she wants now is to get her Chanel skirt off.

It is happening, it is actually happening.

"Dan? Are you home?" a man's voice cracked across the opening door, and reality came back to them. Dan automatically pushes himself off Blair and Blair quickly gathered her skirt down, but it is too late. That man saw everything. "Woah! Okay, I'm closing my eyes. Okay. Are you naked? No you're not." He still kept his eyes shut.

"Carter?" Dan exclaims. That name shocked Blair and she looks at the man who just came in. Carter Baizen in his form in front of her right now.

"Yes, Dan. I told you that you should signal a sock on the door if you have a girl with you," Carter still had his eyes closed.

"You can open your eyes now."

"Good, thanks. I hate darkness," Carter opened his eyes and sees Blair sitting on the couch. "But seems that it follows you everywhere. Blair Waldorf and Dan Humphrey. Who knew?"

"You know her?" Dan asks.

"Everyone knew Blair Waldorf. It is you who is the outcast Daniel, remember?" Carter swats Dan's arm. "You got some beer?"

"I think I should go," Blair did not feel comfortable at all in the same room with Carter. She takes her purse and almost runs to the door. But Dan pulls her arm.

"Hey, you don't have to go," Dan says.

"Yeah. You don't. Maybe we could talk about the old times we had in school," Carter grins through his statement. And Blair is more than determined to leave.

"I think I need to have some lady moments away, it is really embarrassing to have someone caught you like that," Blair could feel Carter's eyes on her. Dan still has her arm in his grip.

"You sure you're okay. If it is about the kiss…"

"No, not that. I'm just…" she looks up into Dan's eyes and sees how confused he was. Blair ignores Carter's stare for a second and kisses Dan softly. "We'll continue later, okay." After all, she still wants him.

"Okay," he smiles at her. With that she left.

"Thanks a lot man, you really have perfect timing," Dan looks at Carter.

"Dude, we haven't seen each other for almost 6 months. Don't you miss your best friend?" Carter opens his arms for a hug. Dan sighs and smiles. He gives in to Carter's bear hug. "I haven't seen you like forever dude."

"You're the one who wants to go off New York to see Vegas," Dan says as Carter released him.

"I'm sorry for having an ambition," Carter says sipping his beer.

"Gambling is hardly an ambition," Dan rolls his eyes.

"It pays my bills since my trust fund is gone," Carter grins. Then he delves into it. "So, you and Blair Waldorf? Didn't see that one coming."

"Yeah. Well, I kind of realized that too just now," Dan takes a beer for himself.

"So you're not moping on Vanessa anymore?"

"Well, no. I mean Vanessa is still a very big part in my life, but," Dan struggles for words. "But Blair, you know, she's just… special."

"You bet she is, she's Queen B. Supposedly everything you hated about the Upper East Side," Carter spats. He has his own reasoning.

"I know. I said that myself, but there is more to her. I don't know, but I wanted to know more," Dan is somehow glad Carter is here, he could never talk like this with anyone else. Unfortunately, Carter is not in a position to be supportive.

"You got that right. There is definitely more to her," Carter sees how Dan didn't like the tone he uses. "Sorry man, congratulations, you're having sex again."

"Thanks," but he didn't mean it.

* * *

><p>"I'm here now, what do you need to show me of this Collins?" Chuck says boringly in Williams private practice office.<p>

"Well, I know now that Daniel Humphrey isn't as clean as I thought he was. He may be even be more devious than you Charles," William grins as he puts some documents on the table. Some have pictures on it. "See these."

Chuck scans the pictures and sees it is a few pictures of his father. "You know my father is dead so he's not really your rival on Lily anymore."

"Not Bart, Charles," William takes the picture from him. "But Daniel Humphrey." He pointed at a younger man behind Bart, and it is Dan himself in the picture. "Or your father might refer to him as Porter Collins."

"What is this?" Chuck was confused.

"Daniel disguised himself as Porter Collins, taking an internship with your father. He was investigating him for some New York Press. His article was rejected somehow, maybe because your father noticed he really isn't a business protégé from start," William smiles seeing Chuck looking at each photos clearly now. "And these, are the papers of what we did get from the New York Press secret archive. I might say it is pretty scandalous. How Bart had maybe let a woman died in the fire of his hotel once, or how he had billions of dollars smuggled out of his own company."

"Stop," Chuck instructed. "Where are you going with this?"

"I'm saying that rather than getting my hands dirty, I think you should be the one to do it. Because I know one thing about a Bass, they do love revenges, and when they do, it goes better than it could," William smiles as he knew, he had opened up a rage in Chuck Bass.

* * *

><p>Blair looks at Dan's building. She have waited outside and trying to figure out whether she should call Henry to pick her up. But truth was she's waiting for Dan to run off from the building and telling her off when he hears the things she had done in her past from Carter. She knew she shouldn't have kissed him, now everything fell into complicated because she knew Dan deserved better. Dan deserved someone who is not Blair. She shouldn't have come to him because she felt safe around him, she should have stayed away.<p>

But she can't. She had been confused from that day he told her about Vanessa, she had felt something for him. She thought it was a feeling of gratitude but when she had given her thanks, she still felt something for him. She knew now after Dan had kissed her, that she wants him. She wants him for herself. She hadn't seen it coming before because she was blinded by Chuck. She's still blinded by Chuck, but she knows clearly that she wanted Dan Humphrey, the boy from Brooklyn.

Now she fears that he wouldn't want her like he did before. Because Carter Baizen had decided to return. And there he is now stepping out of the building.

"Well, if it isn't Queen B," Carter smirks. "How are you Waldorf?"

"I'm great until you came around," Blair didn't like Carter at all. And she shows it.

"Don't worry Waldorf, I haven't told him anything," Carter says and Blair sighs in relief. "On one condition."

"What do you want, Baizen?" Blair gulps.

"Stay away from Dan," Carter says as if it was an order towards her. "He is a good guy, he's not a toy you can play around Blair."

"I'm not treating him as if he's a toy," Blair exclaims which only makes Carter laugh.

"You are Blair Waldorf. You scheme as if it gives you air. You are another side of Chuck Bass," the latter stings. "Dan doesn't need someone like you, Waldorf. He had the perfect girl, only some evil fated twist had that girl removed from him, but that doesn't mean you can be his girl. You can never be because I won't let it. As much as I have been in the dark in my past, Dan is my best friend, hell he's the only real friend I have, and I will not let my best friend mingle with the likes of you. I will not let you ruin his life like you have ruined mine."

With that, Blair left Brooklyn, promising Carter Baizen she would stay away. But can she do it?

**To be continued**

* * *

><p><strong>Well, this one is short, but full of information. Do you think Carter is a bad guy for doing that to Dan and Blair? I mean he came in and ruin it just like that. Well, there is more of it in the next chapter. And Chuck, well, let's just say he needs to know what Dan thinks of Bart first before he attacks him. I just wanted to show that Dan and Blair is nearly through their initial animosities towards themselves and now they are leading into new stuff, still from their past but not on their past lovers. <strong>

**Spoiler: Dan wants Blair, but she seems to not want him anymore. On the outside of course. But then it is Rufus that unites them? What?**

**BTW, I am in no way a Serenate fan, just so you know. Maybe this will explain why I had to insert Jenny's crush on Nate in the last chapter. ;)**


	7. I Am Me

**Animosity**

**Chapter 7 : I am Me**

Blair cooped in her room, more ice cream than when she broke up with Chuck. Serena tried to enter, but she would never allow that. After all, it is her fault everything faltering like this. Shouldn't Serena know how to keep her legs crossed, nothing of this would had happen. Blair may be out in Brooklyn by now, pestering Dan to renovate his loft.

"Blair, can we please just talk? I mean this is ridiculous," Serena knocks her door again. Blair holds her pillow, she would not forgive Serena easily on this. "Blair."

"Go away Serena! I don't want you to ever ruin my life again!" Blair yells and buries herself in the ocean of silk mattresses.

"Blair, this is ridiculous."

"What happened?" Nate approaches his girlfriend.

"I don't know. Dorota said she just came home one day, and never left her room," Serena looks at Nate. "And now suddenly she's all mad at me, saying I ruined her life."

"Are you sure you didn't do anything that makes her think that?" Nate asks.

"Nate!"

"I'm sorry, but you know," Nate ignores Serena's stare because it is true. Serena is sometimes oblivious of what she had done.

"You think it had to do with Chuck?" Serena sighs.

"No I don't think so, Chuck has been busy lately with some Bass Industries things. Yesterday, he had all the board meeting in the Empire," Nate remembers how the apartment were filled with business sharks in ties. "I don't think he even had the time to hurt an ant."

"Blair," Serena tries again. No answer. "Nate why don't you try?"

"Blair?" Nate calls. No answer. But they hear footsteps coming. Blair opens her door slowly, revealing herself in a robe, no make up and puffy eyes. "Hey, you okay?"

With that, Blair pulls Nate in and closes her door on Serena. Serena was dumbfounded and stares with eyes wide on Blair's door.

Inside, Nate eyed Blair slowly who walks to her bed, taking the ice cream and scooping another to her mouth. Her laptop was on with some old movie Nate was sure he never knew off, and a book lay open beside her. He takes the book, it was Breakfast at Tiffany's. He looks behind the cover and sees Dan Humphrey's name beneath it.

"Umm," Nate did not know what to say, or where to start as well. "Well, you don't seem very good."

"Is that all you got, Archibald?" Blair throws her comments cold.

"Blair, what's going on?" Nate asks genuinely. He had dated Blair throughout his childhood, and she was not known as the girl who cries. She is stronger than that, he knew at least that. Even if he fell hard for Serena then, he knew exactly that Blair Waldorf does not weep, nor was she one who stays in her room.

"I think karma is getting back on me, Archibald," Blair looks down. "The old bitching in Constance is finally haunting me."

"Blair what are you talking about?" Nate chuckles at this, settling himself to sit beside her.

"I don't know myself," Blair smiles sadly.

"Blair, you know you can tell me anything. I mean that's why you pulled me in here," Nate offers.

"Not exactly. I pull you in here to piss Serena off," Blair admits and Nate scoffs.

"Wow, real classy Blair," Nate looks at the door, wondering if Serena is still standing behind it. "Seriously Blair, you can tell me anything." Blair looks at Nate, not sure what she should do. She looks at the book that Nate is still holding and looks away. Nate sees that. "Does this have anything to do with Dan Humphrey?" For once, Nate is not confused.

"No," Blair immediately answers. "Yes. I don't know."

"Blair, if this is about him being from Brooklyn…"

"No it is not about him being from Brooklyn," Blair stands up and starts walking around her room. "It is not even about how horrible he dresses up, or how his apartment looked like a junkie's corner." Blair sighs heavily. "It is me."

"Blair, what are you talking about? You are a Waldorf. He'd be crazy to think something is wrong with you," Nate knows this better than anyone else.

"But everything is wrong with me Nate. I scheme like it breathes air into my lungs, I had teachers fired because they won't give me the grades I wanted, I had juniors running to do chores I invented," Blair could not believe that she's spilling everything out. "And he's perfect."

"Blair, if he couldn't agree with you just because that was your past, I don't think he's that perfect at all," Nate smiles. "I know you, you do all those things but most of the time, it never was for yourself. You schemed against Ms. Hawkins in 8th grade because she didn't allow me to enter the exam hall for being 5 minutes late when she actually had a political grudge against my grandfather. You saved Serena from herself your whole life while labeling yourself the bitch. You pull Chuck out of his daddy misery. You are the most selfless person I have ever met so if he hated that quality, it is his lost."

Blair smiles. Nate can be sweet at times.

"Thank you, Nate," Blair pulls him for a hug. "I think I need to talk to Serena now."

* * *

><p>"Bullshit! You go around the corner you stupid fat ass!" Carter yells at the screen, watching football. He stayed around the loft for a while so he could keep an eye on Dan. He knows how Blair rolls, and he knows well by anytime, Blair should be here trying to explain herself.<p>

"You know what, you should buy an apartment in New York, so you don't eat my food, watch my cable and drink my beer all the fucking time," Dan sat in the dining area, laptop on.

"I prefer the loft, it is more homey," Carter kept watching the game.

"Well then you should pay rent."

"Best friends do not pay rents. They have sleepovers sometimes," Carter looks back at Dan. Dan could only roll his eyes. "'So, uh, what's up with Waldorf? Have you heard anything from her?"

"No. Not since that day, I mean she hasn't even returned any of my text," Dan looks over at his phone.

"No kidding," Carter hides his smile. He's doing Dan a favor.

"I mean, I don't know, I thought things were mutual between us. She even said we should continue later," Dan says, exasperated by everything.

"You know the Upper East Side, they scheme every time they have a chance," Carter said boringly.

"You're an upper east side resident yourself," Dan makes a point.

"I was exiled from that society, remember?" Carter changes the channel as the game became too depressing for him to watch.

"No, you went, on your own," Dan remembered the 18 years old Carter standing in front of the loft, embarrassed that he had run away, all because his trust fund was taken away from him. Carter was depressed, mad, every negative feeling you could come up towards his parents.

"No, they pushed me to exit that world. In other words, exile," Carter stopped hitting the channel button and munched the chips. "Tv sucks nowadays."

"You never told me why though," Dan sat beside him. Carter looks away, pretending not to understand. "You never told me what you did that had made your parents so angry."

"That was the problem, Daniel," Carter stands up and grabbed his beer. "I did nothing." With that, Carter left for the guest room.

* * *

><p>"Okay, talk to me Blair," Serena is finally allowed to come in. She sees her best friend staring straight at her. "Blair, talk."<p>

"Carter Baizen is back and I guess instead of ruining the source of problem i.e you, Serena Van Der Woodsen, he decided to ruin my life, Blair Waldorf, your problem exterminator," Blair said simply. Serena was quiet, because she wasn't sure what Blair meant. "Fix it, Serena."

"Blair, I don't understand. So Carter is back, let him be. I don't think he'll dare to come near me anymore," Serena and her every word frustrates Blair.

"God, Serena! Must everything be about you?" Blair stood up and stomp across the room. "He's best friends with Humphrey and he's going to do everything he can to get me!"

"Blair, what are you…" then the blonde realizes. "Do you like Dan?"

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter anymore because I'm pretty sure Carter had told him everything," Blair sat again on her bed. "Nobody likes a bitch. With the exception of Chuck anyway."

"Blair," Serena starts but the brunette knew exactly the words that will come out.

"I know. I deserved better bla bla bla. But it is not that simple," Blair sighs.

"No, Blair, what I wanted to say was, if a guy doesn't accept you for every of you, than maybe he's the one who doesn't deserve you," Serena smiled. "And Dan doesn't seem like the judgmental type."

Blair huffs at this. "You have no idea how wrong you are."

"About Carter, let me handle it. You go find Dan," Serena stood up.

"Can you handle it?" Blair remembered how the blonde couldn't before.

"I think this time I can, I mean I have Nate now," Serena said before she left.

* * *

><p>Carter looks at Dan who is staring at his phone on the counter. He sighs, not even a text. Carter rolls his eyes. How could Dan meet someone such as Blair Waldorf? Their worlds are a complete 180, both on each end. Dan is everything Blair hated, and to Carter, it is ridiculous she liked him.<p>

"Why don't you just stalk her home," Carter joked. "I mean with that many texts you send, you have obviously cross the stalker line."

"Shut up Baizen," Dan sighed, wondering what was wrong.

"You know what, we should go to bar, meet some ladies more of our own turf," Carter holds Dan's shoulder. Dan eyed him. "Okay, so we don't meet girls since you're so hung up over an Upper East Side girl, but we go to the bar, have some drinks. It's on me."

Dan looks at his best friend again. Even if he had been friends with Carter since high school, sometimes he doesn't know Carter. Carter always mentioned how his parents were these evil forces in his life, but Dan never met them. Carter always had ambiguous jobs since high school. Not only that, he kept pestering Dan to enter the school's soccer team so he could gamble the winning chances knowing Dan was very good at soccer. Dan was very judgmental on the Upper East Side before, but somehow he could never question on every Carter's move. Maybe because he was his first real friend in high school, or maybe deep down it was because Dan felt Carter was more alone than he himself ever was that doing those things keeps him company.

"You know what, sure, let's go have a drink," Dan smiled. It was so long ago that he had a simple drink at a bar with a friend.

"Atta boy!" Carter cheered.

Suddenly, Dan's phone rang. Dan looked at the screen. It was Blair.

"Hold on," Dan took the call in his room. "Hello? Blair?" And Carter listens.

"Hey, I'm sorry I haven't returned any of your texts. I got caught up with something, and you know, I just forgot,"that wasn't true of course. She had been scanning his text every minute while resisting to reply.

"No, it's fine. I mean Carter suggested that rather than bombarding you with texts like a crazy stalker, I should just stalk you at your house," Dan joked, not knowing that Blair cringed at the name 'Carter'. Noticing the silence, Dan quickly added, "Sorry, I'm not funny."

This actually made Blair laugh. "No, it's quite the charmer Humphrey," she smiled knowing that he smiled too. "Hey are you doing anything tonight?"

"Um," Dan looked across the open door and saw Carter sitting on the counter. "What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know. Maybe a very festive Upper East Side dinner at my place and afterwards we could continue where we left off," a sly smile spread across Blair's lips. "Plus I'm pretty sure my bed would be a lot comfier than your unfortunate couch." Blair added a bit of seduction in her words, because she had Serena's words that she would take care of Carter.

Dan gulped. "S-Sure then. Um, what time?"

"7. I'll text you my address," Blair smiled. "See you then Humphrey."

"See you Waldorf," Dan hang up and he throw his fist into the air, as if he had won something big. He didn't notice Carter was standing at the door frame.

"Something good?" he asked.

"Yeah. Hey can we have drinks tomorrow or something. I have to meet Blair tonight," Dan grinned like a fool. Carter tensed but remained calm.

"Be careful, Dan. Those Upper East Side people, they can be a snake whenever they wanted to," Carter warned.

"Don't you think I know all that better than you do?"

"What do you mean?" Carter was confused.

"About people being snakes," Dan chuckled. "I was a snake once and I don't have to be from the Upper East Side."

"Dude, that was not even, did you know that Bl…"

"I'll see you tonight when I get back, or tomorrow," he grinned.

"Where you going?"

"Find my very fashionable sister."

* * *

><p>Blair looked over in her closet, trying every outfit she could. Some are slutty, some are girly, no, no and no. Blair almost ran towards Serena who is in the kitchen. "I need an outfit!"<p>

"Um, okay," Serena almost questioned. "You are going out?"

"Yes. And I needed something…. You know… Casual."

"B, you don't do casual," Serena smiled, she knew Blair is meeting Dan.

"Yes, but this is not Chuck, nor Nate. Chuck could knew from far if I wore a new lingerie, and Nate doesn't really care, he just wants the girl naked," Blair ignored the fact that Serena is Nate's girlfriend. "But Dan, he might…"

"Might what? Blair I don't think Dan knows the difference between Prada and Gucci," Serena assured her friend.

"No, Serena. He might just make fun of me! And I could never let that happen!" Blair seems frustrated. Serena raised her eyes brow.

"Why would he make fun of you?"

"In Central Park I broke a heel and he seems to remind me of that every single minute. If I go Brooklyn, he'll be laughing at my uneasiness wearing those trash bags, but if I go Upper East Side, there will be some snide remarks how everything is too expensive," Blair whined.

"What kind of conversations do you have usually?" Serena is curious now.

"Well, I won't call it conversations. We… Bicker," Blair smirks. "A lot really."

"About?"

"Well, the other day we got into this huge debate about whether Degaz is a form of art or simply a girl wearing a tutu, his words by the way. And before I really protested on MoMA being the best museum when we have Guggenheim," Blair rolled her eyes a bit. "I think we even debated which Hepburn is better. I'm all Audrey but he's on Katherine's side."

"Wow, that is really… Something," to be honest, Serena never knew Blair could delve in those sort of conversations. Blair had always loved the MGM movies, Audrey and museums, but she never thought Blair was that integrated on those things. In a way, she found her match, intellectual match.

"So I need something to wear," Blair pouted.

"Blair, I have an idea," Serena smiles. "Why don't you just wear what you always do. You'd bicker anyway and maybe, that's the part that he likes about you."

Blair stopped for a thought. Serena was right. She shouldn't just change her wardrobe just because she happened to like a Brooklyn boy. If he wouldn't, so she wouldn't. "That is much more civilized actually." With that Blair was gone back into her room.

Serena sighs, looking at her phone. She was using the Gossip Girl Spotted Map and Carter Baizen is walking around Manhattan. Serena took a deep breath because whatever conversation they will have are going to take a lot of her energy.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure I'm not underdressed?" Dan asks as Jenny just pulled a simple shirt for him and black jeans.<p>

"Dan, you're a Humphrey, be one. Besides, Blair should like your Brooklyn self. It is one of your most fabulous charms," Jenny says halfway sarcastic. "And you look good, you're having dinner at her house not in a 5 star restaurant or something. Plus you don't even exactly wear a tie when you do go for one. You're the rebel Humphrey."

"If I'm not mistaken you were the one who tried to run away when you're 15," Dan shot back.

"That was because Blair and he minions weren't exactly nice to me at the time and dad was being dad saying tomorrow will be better," Jenny sighs.

"What did she do?"

"She um," Jenny wasn't sure if telling Dan would be such a good idea, but the intense stare Dan gave her forced the truth out. "She threw yogurt on my hair."

"The yogurt incident? That was Blair?" Dan was surprised.

"But that was high school. It happened a very long time ago," Jenny assured him.

"Right," now Dan remembered how Carter said something about the upper east side being snakes. "Well, I should go, I don't want to be late for my dinner." Dan winked at his sister.

"Don't put the napkin on your collar," Jenny reminded him.

"Right," Dan laughs. But before he went, he asked her a question. "Why do you seem to idolize Blair now?"

Jenny smiles at this. "Because she was also the one who shows how she worked hard for everything she has done. I envy her determination."

* * *

><p>Carter walked into an empty building. Scrolling through his phone, he should be at the right place. He looked around and smirked. "Why do you ever need me in such a lonely place?" Carter took out his cigarette and lights it up. He pulled his phone out again and went to Gossip Girl site. There she was, Serena Van Der Woodsen in her glorious day. "Fuck you Van Der Woodsen."<p>

"You sure hope you did right," a male's voice came in. Carter looked back and smiled at the sight of Nate Archibald. He was also relieved that Nate is all alone. He's not there for a kill.

"Ah. Archibald. You made it!"

"Stop being so carefree, Baizen," Nate cuts to the chase. "What are you doing back here?"

"I can be wherever I want to be," Carter smiled devilishly. He knew the golden boy is pissed.

"I'm not sure that is up to you," Nate pulled a paper from his pocket. Carter raised his brows on that. "That is your trust fund relocated back to you."

"What?"

"I can make sure your father sign this if that means you'll take all the money and be gone," Nate was serious, but all Carter could do was laugh.

"You sick ass, you think I really want that money? No!" Carter grinned like a crazy person. "I had tripled whatever amount there is in my trust just last month, I don't need that anymore." Carter stopped smiling now, "But I want to ask you, could you relocate my dignity back."

Nate suddenly jumps in and held Carter's collar in his fist. "Listen you son of a bitch! You tried to drug Serena and you want your fucking dignity back? You have no dignity to begin with! And now I want you to stay out of her life! Stay out of the Upper East Side!"

"You think I came back for her?" Carter almost laughed again. "I'm not. I'm back because it was a shitty season in Vegas, and I happen to have a genuine friend in Brooklyn." Carter pulled Nate's grip off himself. "Although, you should know again, I didn't try to drug her, had no intention at all to do so, hell the drugs weren't even mine. But of course, why would you believe me."

"Why should I?"

"Well maybe because you out of all people should know, Serena or even Blair for that matter, don't tell much to poor guys like us," Carter chuckled. Nate stands there, dumbfounded. He shakes his head. Nope, Carter Baizen cannot go through him that easily. But crash came a figure who makes everything much more complicated.

"Baizen?" Serena calls out. "What the hell are you doing here Cart… Nate?" Serena's eyes almost bulged out noticing her boyfriend. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" Nate's tone scarred her.

"You heard Archibald, she called my name. Obviously she's looking for me," Carter is definitely enjoying this. "I was waiting for you."

"Shut up Carter, don't make it seem like it's that kind of situation," Serena rushes to Nate. She held his hand in hers. "Nate."

"Then what kind of situation it is?" Nate whispered.

"What?"

"I said what kind of situation it is!" Nate yelled and yanked his hands. "Serena, you defended this guy and now you're seeing him in secret?"

"I'm not seeing him in secret. I used the Gossip Girl Spotted map to ask him to leave," Serena almost begged.

"If it is anything, Archibald, you and I were the ones seeing each other in a secret," Carter laughs.

Nate's rage was exploding as he took Carter's collar and punched him straight on the jaw. It felt good, it felt great to hit such a jackass. He heard Serena screamed his name. But then he realized that the incident hurt him, when he saw Serena on her knees in aid for Carter Baizen.

"Oh my God, you're bleeding," Serena quickly used her scarf to stop the bleeding.

"Of course," Nate laughed this time. Serena looked up to him. "You never loved me. You said you do but you're Serena Van Der Woodsen, you can profess your love to anybody."

"Nate stop. I love you, and I meant it," Serena confirms, but that was the thing, she is still aiding Carter.

"Yes, Archibald, she loves you," Carter pushed Serena's helping hands away. "What she felt for me right now is just guilt." Carter looked straight into Serena's eyes. "Pure guilt. Isn't that right, Serena?"

Nate was waiting for Serena to deny it, but her silence made him question her.

Carter stood up, laughing even more. "If only we have Blair with us!"

* * *

><p>"Okay, don't freak Humphrey," Dan said as he looked up to Blair's penthouse. He stood in front of the lobby for about 5 minutes, calming his nerves. "Don't freak, just act cool, and pleasant and…"<p>

"Sir, are you coming in?" the doorman asked.

"Um, yeah," Dan nodded and almost rushed in. But he stopped in front of the elevator. "But you know what, I think I need a few minutes to myself down here, you know before I go up."

"Mr. Humphrey right?" the doorman asks and Dan nods. "She usually doesn't bite."

"What do you mean _usually_?" Dan laughs, surprised that this small word had calmed him. "I'm going up."

And there he was, standing in the foyer, looking straight to a plump maid, smiling at him. "You must be Mr. Daniel!"

"Uh yes, you are?"

"Dorota!" Blair's voice echoes from the kitchen. "If you would please come in here and help me! Don't just mess around!"

"Ah yes, Miss Blair is preparing food. Mr. Daniel is early," Dorota smiles. Dan wonders, where did he hear that name before. Blair never mentioned her, but it seems like she did. Dorota was on her way back to the kitchen when Dan stopped her.

"Hey, maybe you should take the rest of the day off," Dan suggested.

"No, I have to help Miss Blair with cooking, then I can go."

"I'll help Blair with cooking, so you can go," Dan assured her. She gave a frown. "I'm pretty sure I'm a better cook than her last boyfriend so don't worry." He felt a little awkward using the boyfriend thing because nothing was official between them yet.

With that, Dorota nods and left. Dan walks slowly into the kitchen, and he liked what he saw. Blair in this really fancy dress, with an apron on, stirring the pot. She had her hair into a bun and instead of wearing those killer heels, she's wearing slippers. Dan tried not to laugh when she called Dorota yet again. "Dorota!"

"She went home," Dan spoke softly and Blair could only freeze on whatever she was doing. "You need help?" With this Blair looked around and sees the Brooklyn boy smirking while leaning on the door frame.

"You're early."

"I tried to be late but that's not really me," Dan walks into kitchen but Blair stops him and pushed him into the dining area. "Blair?"

"You, be a good boy and sit here," Blair pulls a chair and had him sit there. "You are my guest, and even if your Brooklyn ways have guests cooking with the host, I'm an Upper East Side lady and we don't do that." Blair gave a quick kiss on his cheek before she ran back into the kitchen, leaving Dan kind of stunned.

He shakes his head and smiles, looking around the penthouse. It is grander than he thought. He had went to a few penthouses for his magazine but he only took details in on Blair's, for the obvious reasons. He felt that every inch of this house had a Blair flare in it. The sofa, the curtains, even the vase.

His phone vibrated and he opens it. Carter texted him. _"You're at the Waldorf's?"_

Dan shakes his head. "Yeah, why?" he texted back, but Carter never texted him back.

"It's done!" Blair entered the dining area with her dish, and she puts it in front of him. A whole pie of it. It was beautiful and brown, plus it smells fantastic. Dan looks at the girl who smiled giddily at him. He couldn't help it but smile back.

"I thought we're going to eat those fine cuisine things," he said sarcastically and Blair nudged him for that.

"I may be a princess of all kind but I still love homemade food!" Blair pouted. Dan had to strain himself to kiss her. "Besides, I only make this for special people so be flattered."

Dan chuckled and took the fork and has his first bite. It was good, it was really good. He took another bite and then he scooped one for Blair. "You should eat to you know. You're too skinny."

Blair smiled devilishly at this, she knew she should just wait until he finished the dish. She already ate but Dan makes her hungry. Slowly, Blair opened her mouth and sensually bite the pie off the fork. She can feel Dan's eyes on her and she can feel his sudden tense. If it is one thing she learned after she broke up with Nate, being sensual.

"Um Blair," Dan gulped.

"Yeah?" she said innocently.

"I know that you think you're sexy, and I do know that you're sexy as hell, but I'm kind of starving right now that it beats any of me wanting you," Dan laughed as Blair could only smack his arm twice.

"Humphrey, you completely ruin the mood!"

"I don't want a grumbled stomach okay," Dan said, biting another big scoop of the pie. He could only grin at her, which she grins back. "By the way, Joseph Beuys Exhibition is this coming next week." Blair perks up.

"You are such a boy. How could you go to that when the Degaz is about to close at the Morgan's?" Blair frowns.

"You are such a girl. Frilly dresses and tutus are not my idea of art," he rolls his eyes.

"Fashion, is the most powerful art there is. Its movement, design and architecture all in one," Blair ignores Dan's eye roll. "It shows the world who we are and who want to be. Just like," Blair stares at Dan, even if he is extremely handsome, his fashion sense is at zero. "Your scarf said that you would like to sell used cars."

"Vanessa gave me this scarf," Dan looked at the scarf. It wasn't that bad, like how t-shirts from tacky concerts weren't bad for him.

"And I admire her fashion senses, but I am not going to lie if you have a bad wardrobe," Blair challenged.

"You're not going to invade my loft one day and change everything are you?" Dan laughs at his own question.

"I might. Consider it a favor," and now only she realized that she had pushed herself closer to him, vice versa. It was like whenever they were in a conversation, they are in their own bubble of Dan and Blair's world. They bicker but that is only the surface. He listens, and she was listening back. They were connecting not in the level of sexual encounters or lust, it was just pure effective conversation. They disagreed, sometimes they agreed, but the most important part for Blair is, he listens.

"Joseph Beuys will be amazing. Trust me. I'll make you a deal. If you go to the exhibition, I'll go to Morgan's. I will wear my most fashionable attire," Dan smirks and Blair didn't buy that last statement.

"Okay, I want to add something to that," Blair smiled. "I'll decide on what you wear."

"Blair…"

"What, I need more than you in your jeans and hipster tee beside me," Blair grins.

"Fine," Dan sighs and Blair literally jumped up and down.

Dan finished his pie, every single crust of it. It wasn't because Blair made it to be honest, but because he was really hungry. Dan could throw down anything in his system and still looking lean. Jenny complained that it wasn't fair Dan got that gene while she was stuck with chubby.

Blair smiles, seeing the guy in front of her dining her favorite dish with the wine she chose. Dan looks at her now, moving an inch near her. Unlike before, Blair welcomed this, because she can't resist anymore of Dan Humphrey. Dan stopped halfway, smiling. "Miss Waldorf, may I selfishly steal a kiss from you?"

Blair melted. He didn't know his effect on her. "You may, Mr. Humphrey."

Dan leaned in and within the touch, he's still smiling. One kiss, two kiss and Blair wraps her arm around Dan's neck. The 3 seconds of parting only filled with giggles, and Blair thought she never felt this way before. The feeling of enjoying every single second they have with each other. Dan held her, and in a way, he was very careful. He felt as if she was a really fragile thing. Dan couldn't stop smiling when they stop for another breath. She smiled back.

"You taste like pie," Blair's breathing was still uneven.

"You taste like cherry," Dan took her lips once more.

"It is a brand new lip gloss," Blair huffed. "And it is very expensive."

"Well, I guess I shouldn't touch that all the time," Dan pulled away only to drop kisses on her neck. It was mere pecks but she felt every inch of hot and heavy inside her. Her hands dropped from his chest to his buttons, where carefully, she pulled one by one. It was easier this time since she basically had her parents in France and he had sent Dorota for a leave. So obviously no one could interrupt them .

That was what she thought.

"Hey Blair!" they heard Carter's voice through the foyer.

"I can't believe this," Dan murmured. "He was gone for 6 freaking months and decided to come back now to ruin my life."

Blair was cautious, as the promise Serena make doesn't seem so secure anymore. She looks at Dan, who walks into the foyer. She can't seem to make any move. She's losing him.

"Carter?" Dan called and was surprised to see Nate and Serena with him.

"Where's Blair?" Carter looks like a drunk man now, his eyes were bulging and he seems like he can burst any time. "Blair!"

"Calm the fuck down!" Dan stood in front of him. "You're acting insane. What's going on?" He looked from Carter to Nate and Serena. Serena was scared.

"What's going on is that these two sly foxes of the Upper East Side besties, had ruined my life. And I'm here just to save your fucking life man," Carter raised his hand.

"Okay, you're absolutely crazy," Dan took Carter by the arm and looks at Nate for help. "Nate, can you help me bring Carter out of here."

Nate stayed silent before answering. "No," Dan was surprised by the sudden outcome. "I need to know what Serena never told me." Serena looked down sadly.

"What? Oh geez. Carter, come on…"

"Dan," he heard Blair's voice coming through the foyer. "Just let him stay."

"Ah, here comes Miss Waldorf!" Carter pulled his arm off Dan's grip. "Now, blondie over there doesn't have the guts to tell so why don't you? You're usually the ballsy one Waldorf."

"Just shut up, Carter," Blair silenced him. Blair looked carefully into Dan's eyes, and she decided if Dan wants her, Dan needs to accept her as who she is. A self manipulating bitch. "Dan, just promise me we'll talk after this, okay."

"Okay," even with this answer, Dan wasn't sure what was the uneasy feeling in his stomach was.

"In our junior year in high school, Serena was known to be a huge junkie. Basically, everything Damien Dalgaard had sold to Constance, she had tried," Blair started and Serena could only look down. "Then her mom knew, so she cut off her trust fund, and you can't get supplies without money. So she went to Carter."

Dan looked at Carter, who is just listening back the moments that killed him.

"Carter was crazy about Serena so that wasn't a problem. He would give the world to Serena I would say," Blair looks carefully from Serena to Nate. The golden boy looked tense. "But I don't like that Serena so I decided to scheme against Carter. I managed to run a rumor about how Carter was a drug addict himself, since his family was well influenced, they don't want that at all.

"So I traded a way to end the rumor I made myself to Carter leaving Serena alone," Blair looked at Dan, who stood there motionless. "He did."

"I sure did," Carter stared at her.

"But the Serena told me you came back when we were in our senior year, and Serena told me how you approached her with the idea of going down like before and in my eyes, I can't see why she wouldn't say yes to you," Blair said, and Carter raised his brows. "You came to take Serena back into that world and I know that if I used the old trick, you'll just come back." Carter looked at Serena, who is still looking down.

"So I did what I have to do, I banished Carter Baizen from the Upper East Side. I knew his father wouldn't agree to have his son as a heroin addict, but then they have treatment center or that. Buthaving his son had drugged another girl at his own house, let alone a Van Der Woodsen, was the perfect plan at the time for Carter to lose his trust funds. So I planned a scheme, tossing feed that Carter had drugged Serena. I even paid the doctors for false reports on abuse. To be honest when you went away, I felt more secured because Serena would be safe."

Nate looked at Blair in disbelief.

"Nate, I'm…" Serena couldn't utter a word as Nate stared at her, questioning her too.

"You know what, I think I heard enough," Nate stepped away from her. He looked at Blair. "I need to be alone, I'll see you later." Serena pleaded but Nate could only shrug her off. With that, Nate left.

Blair tried to look at Dan, who is still looking at Carter with an expression she couldn't read off him. Carter noticed too, and in a second, he pulled Blair with him into the dining room. Dan wanted to follow but Carter stopped him, "Stay Humphrey. I need to talk to her."

Carter looked at Blair with his brows arched up. "You're really good Waldorf, I never knew you could pull that kind of shit, trying to be a victim of your own mistakes and all."

"What are you talking about?" Blair took one of the stools and sat down.

"I came to take Serena back? What the fuck was that?"

"You did, Serena told me herself you were pestering her when you came back, I know it will only be awhile until she begs you to give more drugs," Blair looked at Carter straight in the eye. She wasn't lying.

"You got it all wrong. Serena, she c…" suddenly, it all went down clear to him. Everyone was trapped. Everyone was entangled by lies. "Shit Waldorf, shit. I'm so sorry."

"What do you mean?"

"No, I mean, I told Dan you were a snake of the Upper East Side, when you were just the puppet," Carter stood up and walked back into the foyer. Dan was gone. Blair followed suit. "I'm sorry Blair. I didn't know you were just the cleaning process."

* * *

><p>Dan walks around the city, figuring out what he was about to do. Everything were jumbling in his head and he felt that he want to crack it open and just throw all the bad stuff. But of course, he couldn't. Those things plagued in his mind. He was still in the Upper East Side, shoving himself to the rich crowd. He looked at the streets and saw a little girl in her tutu. "Degaz." That date, he isn't even sure whether that will still be on.<p>

Dan had never felt that he was in this situation since Vanessa, and the only person he turned to is really the only one he wanted to ignore now. But he felt he had no other choice. He took his phone out and dialed a number.

"Hey dad. Can we talk?"

* * *

><p>Rufus was glad Dan had called him. It has been awhile. Dan came over to the Van Der Woodsen's penthouse and saw his dad smiling genuinely. It was when Dan realized he needs his dad more than ever now. Dan stayed silence when he sat in front of Rufus. He wasn't exactly sure how to start.<p>

"Dan? Is everything okay?" Rufus tried.

Dan looked down and took a deep breath. "Dad, am I a horrible person?"

Rufus was surprised by the sudden outcome. "No Dan, I think you are wonderful."

"That seems strange," Dan shook his head. "I like this one girl, and she has flaws that beats every single Kardashian drama. But…"

"But what?"

"Just now, she told me that she had tried to destroy a man's life, scheming is like her nature and how she even had that man banished from his own family, or ran away anyway," Dan stopped for a bit before answering. "But I still like her, a lot."

"Then what should be the problem?"

"I can accept who she is, every part of her because she is amazing. But will she?" Dan looked into Rufus' eyes, searching for answers. "Would she be with a guy who goes undercover for a scandalous article about a good man?"

"The Bart Bass case?" Rufus asked, and Dan nods. "Son, you know Bart doesn't blame you for doing that."

"I know, but still… She wants a prince, I can't give her a toad," Dan looks down again.

Rufus holds Dan's shoulder, and God he felt good doing that. "Dan, you have to believe in yourself again. I know maybe I shouldn't say this since I'm the one to be blamed, but Vanessa did. I believe this girl also, so you should too."

Dan looked up and see a familiar face. His dad, only him. No shadows of Vanessa's dead body on him. It was only the parent who took care of him since he was born. Dan smiled to Rufus, finally not feeling a burden doing it.

* * *

><p>Blair sat on her bed. Confused was an underestimation. She felt kind of lost. Everything happened so fast, from everything being perfect to a perfect disaster. Blair snuggled in her blanket, wondering if Dan would ever show up again. She just revealed her worst instinct, her devilish side that made Chuck seemed like a saint.<p>

Blair closed her eyes, trying to sleep off the tiredness, but she can't. She's thinking of just going across Brooklyn, hear him judge her, because it was better to have a reaction than to have none. Blair is not a very patient person. She rustled in her bed, ignoring anything around her. But the elevator sound brought her up. Blair literally ran down the stairs.

"Dan?" she hoped, really hoped. It was him, smiling in his crooked smile, now standing in her foyer. "Hey."

"Hey," Dan didn't know where to start, so he just blurts out the first thing that enters his mind. "Do you have any more pie?"

Blair only chuckled, shaking her head. "We have sandwiches though."

"That will do," Dan stared at Blair walking down the stairs into the kitchen, rumbling through the fridge. Dan followed, and he wanted to hit himself. He was here for something else, not to eat. "Hey um, can we talk?"

Blair looked back, a worried expression washed over her. "Yeah, we promise we did," Blair took out a plate for the wrapped sandwich. "If you wanted to eat first, that's fine with me. I'll be in the…" Dan pulled Blair's hand before she could leave.

"Can you just sit here with me?" Dan pulled her to the stool beside him. "I liked this space."

Blair smiled, remembering what happened several hours before.

"You don't want this?" Dan asks while he munches through a sandwich. Blair chuckled at how he can eat and not cause a fat at all.

"No thank you, I don't do supper," Blair looks at him, just like before when he ate the pie.

"Your loss."

"I don't understand how you can stuff all that thing in your face?"

"I don't understand how you could not."

Silence interrupted them, but it was comfortable, serene. Blair loves it. The feeling of just being with someone.

"Where did you go for elementary school? I know you go to St. Judes in high school," she starts.

"Where you and Serena did," Dan sees a shocked Blair beside him. "Yeah, I remembered that one time where only Serena never makes fun of me for coming from Brooklyn."

"Serena?" now a hint of jealousy for Vanessa before matures into an obvious competition with Serena. "You remembered Serena."

"Yeah, I kind of used to have this huge crush on her, which is really weird now since she's going to be my step sister," Dan finishes his sandwich, not noticing that Blair reverts any eye contact with him. "I didn't remember you though. I've seen pictures of you and Serena when you're a kid at Lily's but I don't think I remembered you." And that makes everything hurts more.

"Sure. Because whenever Serena is around, no one could even recognize themselves," Blair bites. Of course everyone loves Serena.

"I do remember you in high school. You made a hell of impression," Dan laughs and Blair kind of perks up.

"I know. I'm the bitch in Constance who ruined everybody's life," Blair sighs. "Even your best friend's."

"No, you are an evil dictator, who seemed to have this really high taste. You're an evil dictator of taste," Dan concludes and it doesn't sound that bad in Blair's ears. "I know that since there was once you asked, no, ordered me to kill off my army jacket."

"I did that?" now Blair feels hypocrisy all over because while Dan didn't remember her during elementary school, she doesn't remember him during high school. "I never remembered that."

"Well, no one remembers me in high school, so you're not alone," Dan smiles. "I wouldn't want to relieve high school anymore, college, maybe."

"Wait a minute, relieving your college years? Does this have to do with anything about you writing those filthy articles about us?" Blair tries to hide her knowing grin.

"Yeah," Dan shoves his fingers through his hair, forgetting that Blair knew that. And she didn't flip out about it too. "Did you know I slept with a teacher too?"

"Excuse me?" Blair was shocked.

"You know the English Lit Teacher, Miss Carr?" Dan asked, and Blair remembered it clear. "Yeah, her."

"I can't believe it, you're in the Mrs. Robinson case!" Blair remembered how everyone tried to figure out who the teacher and the boy was, even Gossip Girl was searching. She grins at how Dan wasn't really a good boy material in high school.

"Yeah," Dan looked down.

"Dan Humphrey," Blair starts, still grinning. "You're dirty."

"Yeah, what about you Miss Evil Dictator of Taste?" Dan nudges her. "Do you want to relieve college years?"

"No, I may be best in my studies now, but there is no chance in hell I'm going through such stress again. I'm on my last semester after the break, and then, no more," Blair played with Dan's hand, absent mindedly. "But I want to go back to my childhood, if it's possible."

"Why? You miss your rainbows and ponies?" Dan teased and Blair rolled her eyes.

"Well, first, my childhood was the best time of my life. I had a great prince as a boyfriend, my best friend is Serena, my parents were still together, happy, and my problems were only on what to wear when I marry my boyfriend," Blair smiles at her memory. "I know it is impossible but I always had this small wish that I could relinquish my childhood again even for a little."

"I'm sorry to bring this up but Chuck Bass is anything but prince material."

"No, stupid. Chuck wasn't my boyfriend at the time. Nate was."

"Nate as in Nate Archibald who is Serena's boyfriend now?" Dan now knows, that Blair's life is even weirder that he first accounted.

"Yes. That Nate. I believed we were the perfect couple. We even set on Yale together since forever. But then, Serena, the old Serena who had a few drinking problems slept with Nate who is secretly in love with her," Blair recalls those surreal moments. "So after that I broke up with a prince and felt myself being inferior of anything related to Serena." She did not comment if she still does.

"Okay. And your parents?"

"Are very happy with their respective partners now. When they got a divorce I admit I almost wanted to run into a circus, find a clown and join him on his adventure," Blair laughs a little. "I didn't understand before that they weren't happy. When dad decided that he needs to go away with his partner then it got to me that everything I painted would be ruined."

"Hold it. When you say your dad needs to go way with his partner…"

"Yes, Dan. He's homosexual."

"Right," it went from weird to 'I can't believe this shit exists'. "And you said something about problems?"

"Well, since dad was gone, I wanted to turn to Nate, but Nate acts as if it was nothing but on his behalf, he had his own parents to worry at the time. Then I looked for Serena but she went off to boarding school to sober up after the whole Carter debacle. I was completely alone so I uh…" Blair stops and looks at Dan, finally reaching his eyes. Somehow it gives her the courage to speak about her past. "I threw up."

"You threw up?" Dan is not caching things.

"As in forcing myself to throw up," Blair explains, reverting her eyes from his as she is scared that he will judge her.

"So, you were bulimic?" Dan asks and Blair slowly nods. "Do you still…"

"No. When I was with Chuck, he had me go to different psychiatrist for help. And it worked, my confidence boosted bit by bit and I didn't threw up anymore. And you know the rest," Blair looks away.

"Blair, do you want those days back?" Dan asks and Blair looks at him, smiling. The she shakes her head.

"No. I know now that my father loves a man, and there is nothing you can do if someone is in love, true love. What he and his partner Roman have are wonderful. Mom and Cyrus are a weird combination, but he is what's best for her. And look at Nate and Serena, I haven't seen any happier couple in my life. I'm just saying, if someone gave me a chance to live that day again, to feel that type of happiness of a 10 year old before her teen bulimic problems, I would. Because even on my happy days with Chuck, I never really felt that kind of happiness anymore," Blair smiles.

Dan looks at her, genuinely attaching all the beauty in the world on her, because she is just that, beautiful. He carefully places his hand on top of her and he can feel her body stiffen on his gesture. He slowly took her hand into his and bends his head, planting a soft kiss on her wrist. He slowly looks up and capture her eyes with his, locking it.

"I don't know if I could, but please let me try," Dan slowly whispers.

"Dan, what are you talking about?"

"Just let me try, to make you happy," Dan looks at her eyes, hopeful.

Blair's breathe hitches. With Nate she had to signal him, with Chuck she had to beg, but here, Dan Humphrey was asking her permission to make her happy. Blair's voice stuck in her throat, but her tears drops slowly. Dan makes the same gesture he did before, he wipes it off, as if it was his job. He cups her face, resting his forehead on hers, but he didn't have to lean in as she did when she pulls his neck so his lips crushes hers.

With a simple laugh that escaped both, they are an official couple. But Dan had forgotten his mission to reveal his own 'snake' self. After all, Blair Waldorf does have this pull that makes everything goes away.

* * *

><p>Serena walked into her penthouse, not really surprised to see Carter there. In fact she was expecting him.<p>

"You should fire the security. They let me in so easily," Carter looked around. "I could have stolen a vase or some weed while I'm here."

"I don't take those anymore, Carter," Serena stands with her head tall, and it bothers Carter.

"You know, I thought that Blair was the one who never cared about others, and weirdly I thought she is one of the people you cared about the most," Carter looked straight at Serena. "But now I see that, Serena Van Der Woodsen had put all of the blame on her best friend. Serena Van Der Woodsen, had screwed her own best friend."

Serena looked down, she couldn't utter a cry.

"I know Blair, she wouldn't just scheme against people, not without a certain reason anyway," Carter continued, standing near her. "What did you tell her to lead her on? Did you tell her…"

"Yes! I leaded Blair to believe that you're the cause of my problems!" Serena yelled suddenly. "I also told her that I wasn't taking anymore when I was! But you're no better yourself! I asked for your help, Carter, and you bailed."

"Your problem is your own. I never did come back for you, in fact I respected your privacy enough that I would stay away from you forever. But you came to me, begging for money to buy some substance," Carter stood just an inch across her. "Did you lie to your best friend because you wanted revenge? Because I don't give in to you anymore?"

Serena looked up to Carter's raging eyes. "Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>To Be Continued<strong>

**How was that? Haha, Carter is not a bad guy, he just got caught up with a bad situation. And Serena is not a bad girl either. She's also caught up with her situation. **

**Dair – I hate fluffy romance so everything about Dair have to fun in this fic, well mostly that is,**


	8. Porter Collins

**Animosity**

**Chapter 8 : Porter Collins**

Serena walked out of her penthouse, looking miserable. She is all alone today since Blair seemed to be very busy with her new boyfriend, Dan and Nate is not answering any of her calls. Carter left the other day without saying anything more, he just bailed because he knows Serena hates when someone bails on her. Serena looked around New York City, and it reminded her how everything was fine until Carter decides to come and ruin everything.

For some reason Blair is not her favourite person right now. After confronting Carter, Serena would have thought Blair would be as miserable as she is but there was Blair, giggling away with her soon to be stepbrother Dan Humphrey on a movie she barely even recognized. Morning came in and Blair was just smiling away saying she had a good MGM movie night. Serena just took as a code for sex. Its not that Serena wasn't happy for Blair, she is happy. Dan is a good guy and he's also good for Blair. Though the fact that their world is suddenly in reverse made her feel as if it wasn't fair that this was happening. She shouldn't be selfish, and with that, serena threw away all the negative energy in her.

She walked around, with no direction, just walking. She called Eric before, but he did not answer his phone, probably still stuck in class. It sucks to be alone, and really, Serena Van Der Woodsen is never good at being alone. Serena stops walking when she saw her stepbrother exiting his car.

"Chuck!" she called. Chuck looked back, and smirked.

"Hello, sister. Lonely I see?"

"Don't mock. I know you knew what happened," Serena slapped his arm. Chuck looked confused. "Carter came back and..."

"Oh that. I'm sorry, I have better things to do than to mind your narcotic lifestyle haunting you at the moment," Chuck tried walked away but Serena stopped him.

"Have you seen Nate?" she was hopeful he had.

"Yesterday for five minutes. He took a few clothes and left, probably went to his mother's."

"I still don't understand why he's so mad? I mean it all happened before we were dating. And it was Blair who went all psycho and banished Carter," she knew she was being a hypocrite, but the story of 'It's all Blair's fault' has been mended in her for too long that she takes it as it is.

"She did," Chuck stopped at Blair's name. "How is she anyway?"

Serena ignored the nausea in her stomach when Chuck changed the subject to Blair. "Fine I guess. She's coping well."

"With Brooklyn?"

Serena sighs. "Listen Chuck, Blair moved on. So should you."

"Serena, I'm just asking. In fact, I think this break could be good for us," Chuck noted how Serena was confused on the word 'break'. "When two people are really meant for each other, they'll find their way back to one another."

"Chuck..."

"Nathaniel needs some space. Give him some time to cool it off," Chuck finally left Serena to enter the cafe he owned. He looked around and saw the man he was looking for at the bar. "Andrew."

"Mr. Bass. It's been awhile," Andrew nodded. Chuck took the seat beside him.

"I hope you have gold for me."

"Indeed," Andrew took a file from his briefcase, set it up on the table. "Porter Collins. An intern in Bass Industries for 3 months. A business managment student from NYU and reported to be Bass Industries' first ever intern. He even set foot to be your father's right wing man on the New Zealand deal."

"Just after 3 months of working?"

"Yes, the people in Bass Industries at the time said he was a young genius, he learned well from Bart about everything."

"Learned?"

"Seems that Bart has guided Mr. Collins well," this news makes Chuck a bit uneasy. He had tried to make Bart teach him about Bass Industries for 18 years but he never had it. "Bart really trusted him."

"I thought you said you'll give me gold."

"You told me Porter Collins is an impostor, right?"

"Yeah."

Andrew took out a picture of a man who Chuck never met before. "This man is Porter Collins. He graduated from NYU, he is the real person, I've checked his background, his ID and he is also one of the shareholders in Bass Industries."

"That is not possible. Dan Humphrey was Porter Collins and he tricked my father into believing that crap just to jeopardize his legacy," Chuck put his foot down.

"I'm not finished, Mr. Bass," Andrew warned. "The Porter Collins who worked for 3 months was a young man, Porter Collins is over 50. He moved to Colorado right before the impostor stopped working."

"Faking your identification. Should be easy to sue right?" Chuck smiled.

"Not quite. I've searched for evidence, even witnesses for it, but nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?"

"You said the impostor was Dan Humphrey, but there were no linking evidence to prove that he was Porter Collins for that 3 months. Plus, the real Porter Collins insisted that no such thing had ever happened. Even the signed traces of the impostor in Bass Industries had vanished. Its like the impostor had magically disappeared and then the real one just step in and resumed the game."

Chuck couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could Dan Humphrey just get away so easily?

"Though here's the gold," Andrew took out another paper, revealing an address in Brooklyn. "They might have erased his traces in Bass Industries, but the account he used is still in tact to the bank. We might trace the account back to the real Collins, but I also traced the account in Barcelona, to a woman by the name Vanessa Abrams, Dan Humphrey's dead girlfriend."

Chuck smiled at this. "And so what now?"

"Now, we can start digging more on how to sue him for illegal transfer from Bass Industries' account, then turn the case into fraud. Its a 3 months acting but that would result for long years in prison," Andrew accomplished much more than needed. "It will be very dirty, Mr. Bass."

Chuck smiled again. "Make it filthy."

* * *

><p>Dan woke up in a nice satin spread, shirtless and realizing that he overslept in Blair's bed. He looked around and saw Blair in her kimono gown, pampering her hair with a brush in front of the mirror. She looked pretty serious doing it prim. Dan sat still for awhile observing her.<p>

"I know you're looking," Blair smiled through her reflection.

"Was I?" Dan teased. Blair layed her brush on the table and went for her bed, for her boyfriend. Dan's hands naturally sat on her hips when she straddled him. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Blair slowly peck Dan's lips and she felt addicted to him. The peck turned into a deep kiss and then Dan slowly turned them over so he was on top. Blair had made sure Dorota stop anyone trying to disturb them since yesterday, especially Carter Baizen, who is known to ruin their moments. Which made her realize something. "Wait, I have to ask something about Carter."

"He's not here and he's ruining it," Dan sighed.

Blair held his broad chest. "How is he your best friend? I mean no offense, before I banished him for Serena's safety, he's a trust fund baby and you're, well, you."

"None taken really," Dan had to laugh at her blunt side. He layed beside her. "Carter is in fact my only friend in St. Jude's. I guess at first he took a pity at me trying to relieve my boring days with dull old books and blank stares from the crowds. We just got along really well surprisingly and even when things took a turn, he never bailed as a friend. We were supposed to go to Dartmouth together, but then that thing happened and he just dropped school and made his way out of the Upper East Side."

"Was he there when Vanessa died?" she had to ask.

"Every single day for 3 months," Dan smiled at the memory. "I was really a mess, I mean I ignored my dad and my sister can't really handle me. He suddenly came back one night and threw one hell of a punch at my jaw, saying how stupid and selfish I was. It was Carter who bring me back home every time I got drunk in the bar a few blocks away in one piece. Carter even spent his evening looking at writing vacancies for me."

"He sounds like a really different guy from how I knew him. Obviously," Blair couldn't believe it actually. Carter Baizen was a friend.

"I do think he's bipolar though," Dan said this with a laugh. "He always talks about how his family discharged him from the Baizen clan but once or twice, he'll just look at the phone, tempting to call home just to ask hows everybody doing."

"And how do you know that?"

"He told me," Dan smiled down at her. "He might not look like it, but he is a good guy. He's angry now because he wants his dignity back."

"Do you hate me for punishing him like that?" Blair asked, scared of the answer that might not please her, the answer that might ruin what she had with Dan now. "He might be having a degree from Dartmouth now."

"No," he caressed her cheek, reminded that he was a snake too once. The difference is he hasn't told her about that yet. "I had a feeling that even if he does admit to Dartmouth, he'll maybe drop out after a year or two."

"What makes you say that?"

"He's not a class oriented person. He only stuck by high school because of me, or that was what he told me. I always thought he was meant for something outside the Upper East Side. Gambling in Vegas, drinking in some bar, pouring money on Wall Street, that was more of him."

"You mean he's more like Chuck?" Blair retorted which made Dan laugh.

"Yeah I guess so," Dan looked right at Blair's brown eyes, almost lost by the honey that squinted through it. "I think I'll have a hard time hating you now."

Blair smiled at his statement and leaned in to give a light kiss. "Me too. I mean seriously Carter Baizen, the jackass who almost ruined my best friend's life is your best friend and yet here I am with you."

Dan thought about something for a split second, and before he could take it back, he just had to ask. "Would you hate me if..."

"Miss Blair!" Dorota barged in. Blair had to remind Dorota that when she said everyone was not allowed to interupt them, that include her maid. Dorota ignored Blair's glare and Dan's absence of a shirt. She layed the ipad in her hands on the bed and shoved her finger on an article. "Look! This is bad!"

Blair sighed and took the paper in her hands. Then she frowned. "Chuck Bass is planning to sue a thief in Bass Industries," Blair reads this boringly but Dan suddenly retrieved the ipad from her, reading everything on it. Blair mistakes this as her boyfriend being protective of her. "Come on Humphrey, Chuck has no part of my life anymore. Just let him sue whoever he wants and we'll ignore him, okay."

Dan heard her, a little and looked over her. "Yeah sure." But he continued reading.

_During the weeks before Bart Bass' death, it was said that a man in his early twenties had impose himself as a man by the name Porter Collins__and __had a few illegal transfers from Bass Industries. This is reported by Bart Bass' son and the current heir of Bass Industries, Charles Bass himself this morning in front of the DA's office. He confirmed that investigations on Porter Collins is still on progress and the real identity of the man is still unknown._

"_Shit," _Dan cursed in his head. His past came to haunt him again, and Chuck seems to want to take it further than just a revenge for taking his girlfriend. Dan looked over the article again, Chuck wasn't playing.

"Dan?" he heard Blair called him. He looked back and he saw a crease on her forehead, he had worried her.

"Yeah, sorry. I mean this kind of thing is an interest to me, a bit," Dan forced a smile.

"What, writing a story about how a billionaire's son got robbed?" Blair teased and Dan could only smile. In a way that was true.

"Listen, I have to go. I have a few meetings with my boss back in the office," Dan took his shirt and wore his shoes. He looked back at Blair. "See you tonight, maybe?" He wasn't sure why he added the 'maybe' part.

"Of course."

Dan walked out of Blair's building, trying to remain cool. He called Carter a few times, but seems that Carter was out of reach. Dan tried to call Jenny but before Jenny answers, a limo stopped in front of him and Chuck Bass was lingering his smirking face inside it.

"_Hello. Dan?" _Jenny's voice was heard.

"Sorry Jen, I'll call you later," Dan hung up. "What do you want Bass?"

"Get in, and we'll talk business," Chuck rolled the window up and the door was opened for Dan. The man had no choice, he entered the limo and then it vanished beneath the traffic of New York.

"You heard about Porter Collins?" Chuck asked. He didn't need to, he just wanted to.

"Yeah, what about him?" Dan knew where this was going.

"He stole, not a lot but quite the amount from our company's account. Transferred on very ambiguous terms such as 'Collin's Foundation'. This man though, was in his 20's when he worked as an intern in Bass Industries. But the real Porter Collins is an old man in Colorado, working in some hospital as a volunteer," Chuck scanned Dan's expression, a bit surprised that he remained calm.

"Interesting," Dan spoke, now looking at Chuck straight in the eye. "And your point is?"

Chuck was surprised how Dan still remained calm. "You should get out of town before I blew up the truth. You know what you've done will result you being in prison."

"I didn't do anything," Dan's composure remains.

"What do you want, Brooklyn? Money, power, Bass Industries bankruptcy?" Chuck was no where near the calm facade he wanted to have.

Dan laughed at this. He looked at Chuck, right at his eyes. "Information," he saw how Chuck was confused. "You might have money, power and better luck being the heir of a massive company and all, but that is no use for me. I wanted information. And guess what. I have it already, and at any time, I can use it against you. Not only your state of physic will go down but mentally too. Everything about the information I have will kill you. I prefer not to use my weapon so lower yours, Chuck."

And Chuck thought Dan was just a normal guy who would beg him for mercy, but no, Dan Humphrey was menacing. His calm facade didn't drop for even a second, and it bugs him that Dan's composure was eerily similar to Bart's. He remembers how Andrew said Bart trusted him, the impostor.

"Driver, I think we have had enough. Drop him here," Chuck said. "This is not over, Humphrey."

"Who said it was?" Dan retorted back before closing the door. The limo drove off and when it was finally out of sight, Dan's calm composure faded and his legs couldn't support him that he kneeled down, supporting on the tall lamp beside him. His breathing was fast and his eyes nearly dropped a tear for such pressure. He took his phone and called Carter again. Finally this time, he answer.

"_Dan! Sorry, I was really, really hungover over yesterday, and I didn't know where my phone was and..."_

"Can you pick me up?" Dan tried to calm himself, but none of it was working.

"_Dan, you okay?"_

"I don't think so. I think Bart Bass just rolled in his grave," Dan sat down now. "His son knows, and I can't let him know any further."

* * *

><p>Blair was walking around W office like it was hers. The people there were already questioning where 'her husband' was and she meekly answered 'around'. She's not sure if this lie had to go around any further, she felt bad lying to Stefano since he turns out to be a really nice person. But that would mean Waldorf Designs losing W, Dan losing his job and her only chance to work under W vanished in thin air. If the lie had to settle for a couple more years, so be it. In fact, it won't be weird, Dan is her boyfriend now, so what makes it so different with or without the wedding band?<p>

"Mrs. Humphrey," she heard Eperly's mocking voice behind her. She looked back and smiled. "Do we have any more problems with the magazine spread?"

"No, actually I'm here bringing the files for the latest Waldorf Designs. My boss said its going to be a very unique collection, she's all inspired and she just needs to show it to the world in a snap," Blair handed the files to Eperly. Eperly looked at her without a blink.

"We'll run it on the next issue then," Eperly took the file and left. Blair knew she got her.

Blair went out of the W office, sighing a relief. Her life suddeny became clear and bright again. In fact, it has been the brightest in her whole entire life. School, work, her mother's line, relationships, everything was falling in the right places and to think that she wasn't planning any of it makes it all sorts of wonderful. She had been planning her life since child but it was only when she stopped planning that it falls perfectly. Maybe this is a sign that she should let everything just be and not plan everything to be so damn perfect. She's tired of that. Now her new life began and she just hoped that all drama will vanish from her life. That one would be hard one.

Her phone went off and it was Serena. "Hey S."

"_Hey, B. Do you know where Nate is?" _Serena sounded worried. _"I haven't seen him since Carter decided to crash us down."_

"Not really. Did you call him?" Blair hailed a cab.

"_Yes, but he won't answer any of my calls or any of my texts. I dunno maybe he would talk to you," _Serena sounded desperate. Blair pitied her friend.

"I'll see what I can do. Just, hang on, okay S. A Baizen shouldn't ruin you like this," Blair said and with that, she went for Nate, a place where she always go to when she was a child, when Nate was still her prince charming.

She went to the Archibald's household.

The maid got the door and the house seems empty. She looked around and she knew exactly where to find Nate. She wasn't sure why Serena didn't just come down here and talk to Nate himself. But maybe she couldn't blame Serena, she was the one who messes up, so in a way she should be here to talk to Nate.

She walked through the halls, right by the vase that Mrs. Archibald carefully rue over everyday when she was little, by the small garden that the captain insisted to be nurtured everyday and the room where the younger Nate Archibald had occupied. Of course Nate wasn't in there, that was not the safe place Nate had considered. The room where she, Serena, and even Chuck called their safe place once was the room Nate always called his safe place. The place where they called 'The Non-Judging Breakfast Club'. Funny thing that they couldn't trust each other enough to not judge the other nowadays. But still, she knew between all four, Nate was the honest one even until now. He cheated on her but he was the one who dropped down on his knees in front of her while Serena was still absent in boarding school, because that was Nate, he couldn't lie for long, at times he couldn't lie at all, and he hates people lying to him. Maybe that is why Nate still felt this room as a safe place, he's the only one honest enough to be in this room.

Blair opened the door and she peeked in. There he was, Nate, sipping coffee and the newspaper in his hands. Even in sorrow Nate always do it in class. "Hey?"

Nate looked up, and he smiled looking at Blair, just like he always had. "Hey."

"Are you mad at me?" Blair asked.

"No," Nate said. "Are you mad at me?"

"I don't think so," Blair smiled at how childish they sounded. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Blair sat beside him and looked around. All their memories were in here, even her in a big bushy Vera Wang gown and a tiara picture, Nate in his white knight outfit and their hands clasped together. She missed those times.

"Wow, look how childish we were, believing in such fantasies," Blair chuckled, taking the frame, showing it to Nate. "Wow, I really believed you were a prince, you know."

"Sorry I'm not," Nate smiled.

Blair looked down at her hands when she sat back. "I'm sorry Nate. I should have told you everything. Serena wasn't at fault."

"You're not at fault Blair," Nate stated it like it was a fact. Blair was confused.

"Nate, I was the one who schemed. Carter Baizen was about to take Serena back into the narcotic world and I was desperate to save her from it," Blair was sure it was mainly her fault.

Nate can only laugh. "Blair, I'm not sure you should know this from me."

"Know what?" now she's all over in confusion.

"The story from Carter and the story from you, they don't match up," Nate said.

"What do you mean?" she knows Carter can say bullshits about them, but everything doesn't seem to make sense. Why would that make her not at fault?

"Before we went to your house the other day, Carter told me that you and Serena were the bitches who ruined his life, banished him from the Upper East Side. I asked him, how and I thought he was bullshitting all sorts of crap. But then he said he'll prove it by making an ambush to your house, and he wasn't bullshitting. But one didn't match up," Nate said. Blair was still confused. "Carter said he never came back for Serena, not now, not even then."

"No, that's a lot of crap. He's lying," Blair said, Serena wouldn't do that to her.

"Blair, I know you. You scheme a lot, but you never do it without any solid reason. You won't scheme against Carter if you know he didn't do anything wrong," Nate held her hand. "I think Carter was telling the truth, Blair. He never came to Serena. It was Serena who went to him, asking for more drugs."

"You should believe in Serena, Nate. Not that fool!" Blair stood up.

"Blair," Nate pulled her hand. "I don't trust Carter, but..." Nate sighed.

"Nate, what's wrong?"

"I don't exactly trust Serena either," Nate couldn't believe what he was saying. "I did some research on Carter and when that thing happened, Carter was on the list for Dartmouth, he was a good student and he was sober for a year. He had everything in his hands, why would he throw it away?"

"_We were supposed to go to Dartmouth together, but then that thing happened and he just dropped school and made his way out of the Upper East Side." _Blair remembered what Dan had told her. But Carter didn't care for all of that_. "He might not look like it, but he is a good guy. He's angry now because he wants his dignity back."_

One exact memory of Serena came back to her.

_Serena was drunk and Blair needed to take her home. They were celebrating their victory when Carter's trust fund were pulled out from him. "Come on Serena. We have to get you home."_

_Serena took Blair's shoulder and stopped her from moving. "Blair, I have to tell you a secret!"_

"_What secret Serena?" Blair sighed and took her friend's hand in hers, pulling Serena out of the bar area._

"_I love... C...B," and then Serena laughed._

"_Okay, funny, you're in love with Chuck Bass, your own step brother and my boyfriend," Blair knew Serena always makes the worst drunk._

"_Not Chuck!" Serena yelled and Blair ignored her. She hailed a cab and they both went in. "I'm really sorry for C."_

"_I'll tell him later," Blair still thought it was Chuck._

"_I always do loved him," with that Serena fell into a deep sleep._

Blair was wrong. The CB that Serena was talking about wasn't Chuck Bass, it was Carter Baizen. Blair looked at Nate, the sweet Nate and his happy face when he was with Serena, it was all a lie. Their love was a lie. Whenever Serena said I love you to Nate, it was just an act.

"Nate, don't tell Serena, I knew about this okay," Blair stood up and was about to leave.

"Why?" Nate followed her.

"Just do it, okay. I'll explain later," Blair left, and she didn't know where to go. She was outside of the Archibald's household and she didn't have a direction. She was all sorts of confused now. Suddenly, as if on cue, her phone went off.

"Hello?"

"_Waldorf! I need you!" _she heard Carter's voice from the other side. _"Its not a hoax. Your boyfriend, Dan Humphrey is nowhere to be found!"_

Guess that Blair's life is always filling with drama.

* * *

><p><strong>To Be Continued<strong>

**Yes it has been so long since I have anything updated, but here you are. Hope you liked it!**


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